Against All Odds
by SoulSoother59
Summary: After Chase is hired by Liz - John's soon-to-be ex-wife in a move designed to unbalance him - the WWE Superstar decides to keep her on as his housekeeper. As they battle their way through miscommunications, injuries, other halves and a death, will the situation they were forced into implode right in front of them?
1. Making A Splash

_**A/N:**_ Hi! First off I want to say that I am not the biggest Cena fan out there. I admire him as a person but do not thing he is the greatest wrestler. However, he is funny, sweet, friendly and attractive which is why I have taken to writing this fic. I hope you don't hold my lack of liking him for his wrestling against me and I hope you enjoy this story :D XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own Chase and Larry. I don't own anything affliated with the _WWE_ and I do not maintain to have the knowledge of any of the wrestler's personal lives. Anything used in this story is for a fictional purpose and not meant to offend anyone. Thanks!

_**CHAPTER ONE**_

Chase stared up at the house before her. It wasn't everyday that you came across a job as good as this one. It might not have been her ideal job but at the end of the day it was going to pay off her tuition fees. At 23, her University bills were building by the day and it wasn't likely that she'd get a job out of it, not with things the way they were. She'd understood that, accepted it already. But it was difficult watching her dreams being put on hold for...for everything else.

She remembered the day Liz had hired her.

It was only just last week. A beautiful Saturday in Tampa. The air had been hot but interspersed with a cool breeze blowing across the tops of the tress. Chase had drive up from her house in Lake Magdelene after reading about the ad that had been placed in the paper. At that moment in time, any source of income suited Chase down to a T.

It hadn't been a long drive but she'd stumbled out of the car, tugging her khaki shorts down her thighs and into place, pulling her long soft caramel coloured locks into a smooth ponytail. Liz had been waiting outside for her and she seemed genuine enough to begin with; greeting Chase with a large grin and a firm handshake. She was shown around the house, seen all the appliances and told how everything worked. She told Liz a bit about herself but the woman seemed a little too preoccupied with herself to even acknowledge Chase as more than a means to an end.

"When can you start?" Liz had asked her and Chase had turned to her, her mouth opening in shock.

"You mean, you're offering me the job? Really?"

"Yes," the word was tightly spoken "I don't have time to waste Miss Chalmers. Will you be accepting the position or not?" a French manicured hand was placed against the waspish waist of Liz 'soon to be ex-wife' Cena. She pursed her lips at Chase, awaiting her response.

"Ummmm...yeah...I mean yes, of course I will. I can start as soon as possible," Liz rolled her eyes slightly but nodded.

"Excellent. John will be home from his tour soon and I am sure he'll be happy to see that I got him some help. You'll fit in well around here Miss Chalmers," she wasn't too sure what Liz meant by that "If we're done here," she reached out and placed a gold key flat into the palm of Chase's hand "This is the key to the front door. And this one," a silver one followed "Is for the back door. And finally," a smaller silver key was placed in her hand "This is for the door to the garage. The remote for the outside garage door should be downstairs. I've got appointments to attend to," Liz slid a pair of expensive Ray Ban Wayfarers onto her face and slung her bag into the crook of her elbow "You can start at the beginning of next week. My things should be cleared out by then."

"You're leaving?" Chase swung around as Liz strutted away across the real wooden floor of the hall "I mean...I'm sorry to sound to brash. I didn't know that...that..." Chase stuttered, trying to find the words.

"That my husband and I were getting a divorce?" Liz raised an eyebrow at her "Well you wouldn't!" she snapped "It's personal business," Liz raked her eyes up and down Chase's figure, pursing her lips in disdain at Chase's shorts and t-shirt "My hus...soon to be ex-husband is not your concern Miss Chalmers. I've hired you to run this house. I've hired you because he wanted someone to pick up after him and I am sure you're quite suited to that job," she sniped "And quite frankly, I am not. John can't always have his cake and eat it too. I am sure I will have no further reasons to speak with you again. Good luck...with everything," Liz's features softened ever so slightly before she was storming out of the house in her 5 inch Christian Louboutin's.

* * *

><p>Now standing outside the large home owned by John Cena, Chase found herself wondering if she had made the wrong decision. What was it going to be like working for the biggest WWE Superstar in years gone by? His personality was larger than life, she'd seen the things John had done for charity; supporting countless organizations through his work and personally. He came across as a funny, friendly, happy and well-to-do person. His laugh was infectious and she'd often seen him on local TV stations when he was promoting something big for the company.<p>

Chase didn't really see herself as a massive wrestling fan. It had always been her dad that was the bigger fan and she joined him to watch it from time-to-time which was how her introduction to John Cena came about. He'd returned from a scripted injury which had put him out for a month in order for him to film his first movie The Marine; immediately capturing the United States Championship on his return.

She had no inclincation of who this man was beyond the person he showed the world on television. Working for him was going to be an eye-opener for her. Would he be the same person he was on TV or would he be an entirely different kettle of fish?

Looking at the house, he certainly seemed to indulge. Chase had been more shocked than anything when she followed the directions that Liz has given her on the phone - they had brought her to a set of large wrought iron gates, behind which stood lines of large and expensive homes. A guard had stalked towards her car and as she rolled down the window she felt herself become intimidated by the large man standing outside.

He'd asked Chase for her I.D and her reasons for being there before giving her clearance to enter after consulting a clipboard in his hand.

The house was a large mixture of brick and wood panelling with slanted grey slate roofs and a huge paved driveway accompanied by a double garage; which Chase soon found out to be only 2 of 5 garages on the property. The home was situated on the front of a large lake with a boat dock out the back and a large circumference of lush green grass around it. Palm trees stood tall out the front and small newly planted ones lined the smooth cemented path towards the front door.

Chase slid the key into the lock, thankful that she now had her own photographic I.D card to get through the gate security or at that moment in time she would be running the risk of getting arrested for trespassing. She stood with bated breath as she twisted the key and carefully opened the door. A rush of cool air hit her warm skin and she quickly stepped inside before she ran up the air-conditioning bill by heating the house up.

Her soft leather sandals clicked upon connecting with the real wood floors and Chase made her through to what she knew was the kitchen. It was slightly terrifying being here on her own but liberting in a sense as well. She wasn't the type of girl to do anything wrong but being in John Cena's home felt strangely like she was somwhere that she shouldn't be. Chase felt like she was invading the private space of someone she didn't know; which in actual fact she was.

Liz had employed Chase to work in the house 3 days a week from 8:30 until 3pm. She had fully understood what she was taking on when she had applied for the job and knew that in essence she was a maid; hired to clean up after John Cena. However, she was working on her own terms and she refused point blankly to be degraded. It's not like she was a bottom feeder, Chase has worked hard at University the past 4 years to gain her degree but things had come up, gotten in the way and now she was prevented from doing what she wanted to do, left with paying off tens of thousands of dollars in tuition fees.

Which was why this job mattered so much to her. It was her lifeline, her chance to finally rid herself of the bills that were praying on her mind. The job was overly-paid, a way to stick it to her soon to be ex-husband as Liz had put it; not that Chase minded of course, any money she could earn was a blessing to her.

She poured herself a glass of water from the tap and took a long, slow drink from it, feeling herself instantly start to cool down. She washed the glass and put it back where she found it and then made the decision that it would be best to start from upstairs and work her way down. Chase pulled her mid-back length locks back and tied them into an unkempt bun as she walked through the house, picking up various cleaning utensils on her way to start.

* * *

><p>She changed the beds in all of the rooms and dusted down the furniture, not touching anything she deemed too personal. It was difficult not to touch, Liz had clearly been here and made various changes. There were marks on the walls where photographs has once hung, her clothes were cleared from the walk-in wardrobe in the master bedroom; all that was left behind were pink silk padded hangers and aside from some of the decor there were no physical signs around the house that a woman had ever lived there. Chase continued on undeterred and brushed and mopped the hardwood floors, hoovered the carpeted stairs and then continued on to the floors downstairs, sweeping and mopping them straight into the kitchen where the marble tiled floor was cleaned as well. She was just about to make a start on the sitting room when the doorbell rang.<p>

Chase's heart jumped into her throat and she considered not answering when a large fist thumped against the glass. She walked slowly towards the door, pulling it open slightly.

There was a man on the other side of the door.

He was tall but not overly and wore a white polo neck t-shirt, black dress trousers and his name badge said 'Larry'.

"I'm here to deliver Mr Cena's dry-cleaning," Chase swung the door wide open to face him as he said this. She smiled slightly.

"He's not home at the moment. I'm the housekeeper," she reached for the laundry in the man's hand. He kept his grip at a distance from her, not handing over he stuff just yet. His gaze raked over her from her tan leather thong sandals to the top of her hair. Chase smiled at him "Do I need to sign for this?" she asked as he raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. She knew he didn't believe that she was the housekeeper but she was hardly lying. He would chose to believe whatever he thought was the most logical explanation.

"Yes," he handed her the stuff and she hooked it over her arm before jotting down her signature on his electronic pad.

"Thanks!" she chirped, attempting to close the door.

"Wait! Are you really Mr Cena's housekeeper?" Larry asked her. Chase smiled and nodded before shutting the door over, breathing a sigh of relief when she heard his retreating footsteps. Looking down at the clear cellophane covered clothes in her arm, Chase held them up before jogging up the stairs to hang them away.

* * *

><p>She stared at the still surface of the water. The pool looked very inviting in the hot weather which was a good thing considering she was going to have to go in anyway if she wanted to clean it. A breeze blew across the top of it, giving the still water a ripple effect. She had almost finished everything inside and once the pool was cleaned she would have to leave for the store. Liz had left a list of things for her that John liked to have in the fridge but Chase was in two minds about trusting her. She kicked off her sandals and then took a deep breath before diving into the cool water. It washed over her, instantly cooling her sun-frazzled skin.<p>

Chase swam to the surface and reached the long extending pole which had a sponge attached to it. Without being able to drain all of the water out of the pool this was the only way in which she would be able to clean it. She swam through the water towards the deep end, extending the pole in order for it reach the deep end. She moved it back and forth in the water, washing the tiles of the pool. They weren't exactly needing cleaned but it had been on the list of things that her job entailed and so Chase had jumped right in, literally.

She surfaced to take a breath before diving back down, finding that the pool cleaned quicker than she thought it would. She moved through the water, surfacing only to take breaths of air before diving back down.

John had been watching the woman swimming in his pool for the passed 10 minutes wondering who on earth she was and how the hell she got in. He was waiting for the opportune moment to say something but everytime she surfaced for a breath she dived too quickly again. He hadn't managed to get a good look at her, although the flash of soft caramel coloured hair told him it certainly wasn't his soon to be ex-wife in the pool.

She surfaced once more at the shallow end, rolling her head back to smooth her wet hair back on top of her head. John cleared his throat and she spun around in the pool, a scream tearing it's way from her throat. She stared at him open-mouthed, the pole she held in her hand had floated away, bumping off the stone-blasted edges of his swimming pool.

"Oh my god!" she swam, a strong front crawl, towards the steps and pulled herself out. John was able to get a proper look at her now. She was young, maybe early 20's, slim with a body that was toned through some sort of physical exercise. She was drenched and water ran from her body in rivulets, pooling around her onto the terrace. She drained the water from her hair, smoothing it back with her hand nervously.

John met her gaze, deep blue eyes burning into his own. She wore a pair of white cutoff shorts which were now becoming increasingly see-through showing a pale pink thong through them and a tan coloured top which was plastered to her like a second skin. John swallowed but felt anger flooding him.

She ran towards him, her bare feet padding off the terrace. Her ample breasts bounced with every step she took towards him and he couldn't help but stare at her.

She opened her mouth to speak to him but he got there first.

"Who the hell are you?"

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

_**A/N2:**_ I hope you liked this introduction to my new story. I pretty much have a storyline set out but I'll be taking my time with this one. Let me know what you think :D XxX


	2. Gathering Bearings

_**A/N:**_Thank you the amazing reviews on the last chapter. I am glad you all enjoyed the first installment of this new story. Thanks to **alana2awesome**, **cenarko1986**, **littleone999**, **poisenousprincess**, **quidditchandsonicscrewdrivers**, **sweetcandy apple**, **KyraJane**, **WhitneySheree** and **ThatGirl54 **for reviewing the chapter. Anyone else who alerted or read, a big thanks to you too :D XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own Chase and Kain. I don't own anything affiliated with the _WWE_ and I do not maintain to have the knowledge of any of the Wrestler's personal lives. Anything used in this story is for a fictional purpose and not meant to offend anyone. Thanks!

_**CHAPTER TWO**_

Chase stared at John. She looked around wildly, thinking of what to say to the large man in front of her. He really was rather attractive especially the way the sun brightened his crystalline blue eyes and picked out the faint natural highlights in his hair.

He was staring at her with one of those looks; trepidation mixed with anger. John folded his arms across his chest, forcing his flesh to bulge from the sleeves of his tight grey t-shirt. Chase licked her lips, moistening them with a quick swipe of her pink tongue.

"I'm your new housekeeper Mr Cena. I'm terribly sorry, I wasn't expecting you home for a few hours. I really should go to the..the store. There isn't very much to eat in the house at the moment. Your wife left me..." Chase trailed off at the sound of a low growl emanating from deep in John's chest.

"Ex-wife. Elizabeth is my ex-wife," he snapped at her causing Chase to squeak in fright.

"I'm sorry," she breathed slightly fearful of him, lowering her eyes to the slate tiles of the poolside "I meant ex-wife...ex-wife," she repeated under her breath more for her own benefit than his. Chase brought her eyes back to his "She left me a list of things to buy for you but I am not entirely sure that it's right and I could really use your...why are you staring at me?"

John's lips twitched to rid himself of the smile that was pulling at them. The rambling girl in front of him was amusing.

"Well...you seriously expect me to believe that my ex-wife hired you as a housekeeper? Man, you fans really make up some stories to get close huh?" he laughed "I'm calling the security," he turned to walk away but Chase frantically grabbed at his arm, her long nails leaving a line of angry red trails in their wake.

"Please, I'm telling the truth. Kain; the guard, he gave me a photocard to get through the gates and it's inside. Please just check," she pleaded before looking down at his arm "Oh! Did I do that?" Chase traced her index finger across the fading red marks causing the hair on John's arms to stand on end. He pulled his arm away quickly and watched her.

"You better come inside then. You're soaking wet," Chase blushed slightly at his words but obediently followed him into the house.

* * *

><p>His blue eyes watched her intently as they sat at opposite ends of the island in the centre of the kitchen. Chase's elbows were braced against the counter, one palm pushed under her chin. John was sitting back in his seat, those muscled arms folded across his chest once more.<p>

"So Elizabeth hired you to be my...my..." John waved his hand around to find the right word "Skivvy? To pick up after me?"

"When you say it like that it does sound a bit silly but yes, I guess she did. She told me that you liked to have someone around to take care of things but that clearly wasn't her thing," two faint spots of pink coloured Chase's cheeks.

"No it certainly wasn't," he muttered under his breath "So what is it exactly that she's told you about me then..." he trailed off realising he didn't know her name "What am I supposed to call you?"

She smiled wryly.

"My name is Chase."

"And what exactly am I to expect of you Chase?" the way he said her name made her curl her toes in around the foot-bar of the high stool she was sitting on.

"Ummm...well...according to your wi..ex-wife I am supposed to work 3 days a week from 8.30am until 3pm. It's my job to clean the house, run any errands that you need done, make sure the shopping is done and anything else you generally want," she felt rather flustered by the end of her speech.

"Anything else that I want?" John couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows and laugh slightly.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Chase snapped, feeling well out of comfort zone. She had known that John was a playful character but having already had him see her in sopping wet clothes crawling out of his pool, the last thing she really needed was his teasing.

"I couldn't help it," he laughed "So I assume that you've agreed a price, a wage for this with Elizabeth?"

"Yes. I mean it is up to you what you pay me but she already agreed a figure."

"And what was that figure?"

"$1000 dollars a week."

"$1000 dollars a week?" John swallowed thickly. He was amazed at the gall of this woman, she didn't seem to bat an eyelid at the figure but he could see something in her eyes "Why the hell would I pay you that much to clean my house?" he stood from the table, pushing his stool back across the floor.

"Please! I need this money," Chase moved her hand across the table to touch his arm but he retracted it away leaving her with a strange sense of hurt inside, a lump forming in her throat "I won't beg you!"

"Give me one good reason why you need this job? You don't look like you're short of money. You might not be rich but you're certainly not poor. Why do you need this money?"

Chase bowed her head slightly before tipping it back in defiance. She wasn't going to cower in fear from this man. He didn't know her and she didn't care what he thought of her.

"Because I have $60,000 dollars in student loans to pay off and I can't afford to do that with any regular job."

John was silent. He couldn't place what he was feeling right now. Remorse for her but sheer anger at his ex-wife. Something that she wanted. She wanted him to be angry. She wanted to humilate him and she'd known that he would throw this girl out. She'd picked a girl with the most heart-wrenching story and had hoped he would turf her out and tell her where to go.

"Alright. Trial basis only. Everything you agreed with my ex-wife. I'll stand by what she's told you. Except the wage. $1500 dollars a week will settle everything," he told Chase before leaving the room. He had business to take care of. Nothing that need involve his new employee.

Chase watched him leaving. Her mouth was gaping open. $1500 dollars a week? That was some amount of money. At least she would be putting it to good use.

A quick glance down at her clothes told her that they were almost dry. So Chase reached for the little box in the top cupboard which Liz had told her John had left money in for shopping whilst he was away. She was surprised to find the thick wad of notes still there, she wouldn't have been surprised if the woman had made off with every last cent she could. Grabbing her car keys, Chase headed for the door intent in getting the shopping but also of giving herself at least an hour free from her new boss.

* * *

><p>A quick drive to the supermarket had Chase pulling the list from her damp pocket. Her eyes trailed across the elegantly looped handwriting as she pulled up a cart. A frown worked it's way onto Chase's lips. This couldn't be right surely? Her eyes scanned the things on the list.<p>

She scrunched the wad of cheap paper in her hand and tossed it into the nearest trash can. Well there was no way in hell that she was buying that sort of stuff. A pro-athlete, especially one the size and stature of John Cena didn't eat cheese curls or twinkies and drink normal beer. Not unless he was having a day to pig out. But from what Chase had heard, John Cena never pigged out. He was serious about his fitness so Chase knew the shopping she done would be important to him. It wouldn't be the sort of drivel she found on that note.

Chase scoured the supermarket for everything she knew she would need, dumping it into the cart as she made her way around. She headed straight for the checkout afterwards to pay for it.

And then the drive back to John's house was rather quick. She flashed Kain her I.D as she pulled her car to a stop, keeping the engine running. He grinned at her.

"I see Mr Cena is back," he tipped his hat at her slightly "You're not causing him trouble now are you?"

"I am not," she laughed at the burly man who leaned his elbow on the roof of her car as he stooped to get a good look at her "I don't cause trouble. You could have called the house to let me know," Chase narrowed her eyes at him.

"I did Miss Chalmers. I believe you must have been indisposed," she swatted his arm away and he opened the gates to allow her car to pass through into the gated community. She stuck her arm out and waved to him as she drove through and up towards John's house.

She pulled the car to a stop outside and got out, jogging around to the back to throw the boot open and get the groceries. Chase lifted three bags into her arms, squeezing her lean, toned arms around them. She swivelled to walk towards the house and bumped right into John, crushing the groceries between them. Chase jumped back slightly, holding the crumpled bags in her hands. He had showered, she could smell the tang of his freshly applied cologne and he now wore a pair of loose fitting denims, a white muscle shirt and a white, pewter and dark blue checked buttondown shirt over the top; open to allow him to keep cool with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"I wondered where you'd gotten to," he reached for groceries that were in her arms and lifted them easily into his arms, turning on his heel to stalk back into the house. Chase looked after him before grabbing the last two bags, shutting the door and then heading up into the house. John was already unpacking them when Chase reached the kitchen and she stood aimlessly by the door, feeling as if she was intruding on something. He hummed to himself, the fridge lying wide open as he stocked it up with the fresh produce that she'd brought back "Elizabeth left this list for you?" John asked, beckoning her over with the bags. Chase padded over, placing the bags onto the counter. She ran her fingers through her hair, a frustrated sigh leaving her lips. She wasn't sure if she should tell John that Liz had left her a dud note just to piss him off. If she'd come back with the groceries on that list, John would have turfed her out with every right to do so. But thankfully, she'd seen the blunder and set to correct it before any mishaps.

"What is it?" John asked, pulling his head out of the fridge to look at Chase. She was leaning against the counter, gnawing on her lower lip with a worried expression on her face. Why was this woman so nervous around him? "C'mon, tell me."

"Ummm...well..." she rubbed her palms on her short shorts, drawing his eyes to her toned legs for a few moments "Liz," John narrowed his eyes at his soon to be ex-wife's name "She didn't leave me a list with this stuff on it. She left me a list with a lot of garbage on it. I don't want to be a pain in the ass but I didn't think you would eat the stuff on that list so I kind of took it on my own back to buy all of this stuff," she motioned to the shopping bags and the four bags of fresh lettuce in John's hands. He sighed and nodded.

"Don't worry about Elizabeth. I'll take care of that," he turned to stuff the lettuce into the fridge "You didn't pay for this yourself right?" John called from the other side of the fridge door.

"No, Liz told me where to find the money for the shopping. How long are you back for?"

"Few days," he grunted, lifting more of the groceries out of the bags and putting them away in the cupboards. Chase watched him, making a mental note of where everything went for the next time "Why?"

"Just so I know roughly how long you're home for. Like I said, I'm only working three days so I need to make sure I know when you're home so that everything is clean."

"Listen, Chase," John pulled his head back out of the fridge to look at her. He turned to lean his elbow and bicep against the door "I'm not too fussed about which days you come by. I agreed to the contract on a trial basis only but I'm not here the majority of the time. You have a key, use it if and when you need it."

"Okay," Chase forced the word from her lips, she wasn't too sure what else to say. He was being nice and kind but she was stuck for words. She glanced at the clock and noted the time "I really need to get going. Not that you'll need them, I'm quite sure, but I left contact numbers over there," she pointed to the small notepad on the kitchen counter "I'll see you soon," Chase turned to leave the kitchen.

"Chase!" she paused in the doorway, turning to face John "Ummm...it's okay, never mind. I'll see you later," he gave a backwards wave and turned back to the put away the rest of the groceries. She watched him for a few seconds and then left.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

_**A/N2:**_ I know the ending was pretty stilted but there was nothing else to write. Let me know what you think :D XxX


	3. Wishing For A Better Tomorrow

_**A/N:**_ Hey! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. They were amazing and I am so amazed that I am getting so many for this story. Thanks to **cenarko1986**, **Happygolucky103**, **WhitneySheree**, **sweetcandy apple**, **KyraJane**, **ThatGirl54**, **littleone999** and **poisenousprincess** for reviewing the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one :D

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own Chase. I don't own anything affiliated with the _WWE_ and I do not maintain to have the knowledge of any of the Wrestler's personal lives. Anything used in this story is for a fictional purpose and not meant to offend anyone. Thanks!

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

Chase scraped back her caramel locks and secured them in a loose bun. Standing in front of the large ceiling to floor mirrors which lined the back walls of the studio, she placed her palm delicately around the wooden beam, using it to support her through her hamstring and calf stretches.

"So what's it like to work for the famous John Cena?" Chase smiled as she heard the voice sound out behind her. Without turning around, she shrugged, staring at her best friend though the mirror as she appeared behind her dressed casually in a pair of black jogging pants and a grey fitted sports bra. Her soft blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she carried a water bottle in her hand "What is that supposed to mean?" Lou snapped referring to the shrug that Chase had given her.

"What? Nothing! I didn't mean it in a bad way," she continued to stretch her muscles knowing they were going to get put under some amount of strain shortly.

"Yeah but you still did it. So what's it like? Is he bigger than he looks on TV? Is he nice?"

"You bitches didn't start without me did you?" the door to the studio hit the wall as it was thrown open and the other member of their group stode in. It never failed for Hayley to be late to their sessions; she tended to waltz in 5 or 10 minutes after they started but always had some excuse to back it up. She wore white jogging bottoms, a black sports bra and had a black hoodie secured around her waist. A white skip cap was pulled over her head with her light brown locks secured in a ponytail protruding from the back of the hat "What's the topic of conversation today?" she threw her bag, water bottle and hoodie down in the corner before joining Chase and Lou at the mirrors, raising her eyebrows at her two best friends.

"We were talking about Chase's new employer," Lou told her with a smirk. Chase smacked Lou on the arm, knowing that Hayley would never give up the chance to have a good gossip and probably wouldn't let her leave the room without Chase telling her every minute detail of her job.

"Oooohhh...tell me. Is he hot? He's totally hot right?" Chase rubbed her lips together to avoid saying anything "I bet he has cameras all over the place and when you lean over to get something you'll be totally sticking your ass in the air for him to get a good look at. What do you think he's packing?"

"Hayley!" Chase snapped, blushing profusely.

"What?" the brunette asked innocently "I was just making conversation."

"Yeah but why do you have to be so vulgar about everything?" Chase demanded, cracking her jaw to rid herself of the smile that was etching itself across her lips. She could fully understand why her friends wanted to know these kind of details, she'd already found herself physically attracted to John. And why shouldn't she have been? He was a pretty good looking guy; he seemed strong, sweet and caring so far. But did something else lurke beneath the surface of him? Something that had made Liz run out on him?

Lou laughed at the other side of Chase.

"It's not vulgar sweetie, it's life," Hayley smirked at her "C'mon let's get this over and done with. I've got a certain someone to see," she waggled her eyebrows leaving her two friends with looks of disgust on their faces as they moved away from the bars and Lou switched on the music.

* * *

><p>An hour and a half later, the three girls left the studio; thoroughly puffed out and sweating. Hayley darted off to drive to her boyfriends after bidding her friends goodbye and arranging to meet for drinks another night of the week, leaving Lou and Chase to walk together.<p>

"What is he really like then?" Lou inquired a bit more.

"He...he's really nice, I guess. I mean I've not really had that much interaction with him Lou, to be honest. I've met the ex-wife. She seems a little up herself but...oh I don't know, there's something else there and I don't know what. I guess it's none of my business. Let's face it, he's paying me $1500 a week to clean to his house, I'm not complaining."

"I wouldn't be either. Though there's nothing wrong with getting to know him a little."

"I don't want to to prod. He could turf me out on my ass and where would that get me? I'll never be able to afford the..."

"I know. I'm sure he's not a monster Chase. Why don't you tell him?"

"'Cause I'm not a sob story. He doesn't need to know about my personal problems and vice-versa. We only know each other by circumstance, nothing more and nothing less. Do you want to get a coffee?"

"I really have to go. I took on an extra shift at work."

"Why do you work at that place?"

"Because it's money. And just like you, I have a student loan to pay off which I have no chance of ever doing. So I have to work. I'll see you soon though,"

"Yeah. I'll come by in a few days," both friends hugged and bid each other goodbye and Chase stood, watching Lou as she disappeared in her car. With a sigh, Chase turned to walk to her own and got in, driving off from the studio they used for dancing.

* * *

><p>John grunted as he pushed the bar above his head, bench pressing near enough 350lbs of weight. Inhaling deeply, he puffed the breath out through his gritted teeth and placed the bar back on it's holder with the help of Randy.<p>

"So Liz hired this broad to clean your house?" John nodded "And you're alright with this man?"

He shrugged as he sat up, wiping his forehead with the back of his arm "What am I supposed to do? I can't just throw her out."

"Yes you can. This has fuck all to do with you dude. You need to get shot of her. What if Liz hired her for something else?"

"Like what?" John was skeptical. Chase hadn't given him any indication that she liked Liz let alone was friends with her.

"I don't know. Like maybe she's there to spy on you? Maybe Liz hired her so she could keep tabs on you? You should get this Casey chick checked out."

"Chase," John breathed.

"What?" Randy furrowed his eyebrows at him.

"Her name is Chase," John reiterated, leaning forward to brace his elbows against his knees and he sighed into his hands.

"Don't tell me you like her man? Seriously?" Randy placed a hand on John's back and John looked up at him "Are you being real with me right now? You like her?"

"No! I mean...I don't know. I don't even know her. I agreed to this contract. I'm..."

"Only verbally. She can't prove anything man."

"I'm not backing out of it. I'm not going to do that to her. And why are you so concerned about who's cleaning my house?"

"I'm just looking out for you. I saw how hurt you got by Liz. I don't want it to happen again man. You're my best friend."

"Alright, I get it. Lay off the sensitive bullshit, Randal. I'll get her checked out," John stood up and punched Randy in the arm before moving away as Randy tried to hit him back.

* * *

><p>Chase's apartment was eerily quiet as this time of night. She was hunched over her desk reading 'Jane Eyre' one of her favourite books by lamplight. The book by Charlotte Bronte had been in Chase's top 5 since she'd read it partway through high school.<p>

Pushing it away, Chase rubbed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. She looked around her pokey little apartment and wondered to herself if things would ever change. Would they every get any better? With a sigh, she flicked out the lights and retreated to her bed, climbing in and pulling the comforter up over her. Snuggling down, she closed her eyes and wished for a better tomorrow.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

_**A/N2:**_ This was mainly a filler chapter. I don't want to rush into things. There are things I want to go through before all the drama :D XxX


	4. I Know What I Want

_**A/N:**_ Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed the story. I love you all for it very much. Thank you to **cenarko1986**, **ThatGirl54**, **WhitneySheree**, **Randy4rkocenahardy**, **JinnyTheGreat** and **alana2awesome** for reviewing my story :D

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own Chase and Kain and Carolyn. I don't own anything affiliated with the _WWE_ and I do not maintain to have the knowledge of any of the Wrestler's personal lives. Anything used in this story is for a fictional purpose and not meant to offend anyone. Thanks.

_**CHAPTER FOUR**_

A run always managed to clear Chase's thoughts. The pitter patter of her shoes smacking the hard, rough asphalt beneath her, the cool breeze blowing through her hair, washing through the burning UV rays which shone down from the sun; already high in the sky even at 7:30am. Lake Magdalene was already blisteringly warm and the light breeze really did nothing to cool her skin as she ran through the park, around the residents bustling to work; bodies adorned with smart suits, shirts and sensible shoes, briefcases tucked in their hands or under their arms, cups of steaming coffee grasped tightly in free hands with cellphones wedged between their shoulders and ears, muttering away and making demands down the lines.

John was back on tour now, it had been almost three weeks since Chase had started working for him. Things had been mediocre at best; John and Chase barely spoke a word to each other unless it was in ackowledgement of each others presence, and Chase got on with her job, arriving on time and completing all the duties that she'd agreed with John. The days were long, between catching up with her friends, dancing, working her 3 days a week at John's house and fitting in time for everything else in between but she managed for the sake of things.

Chase ran through the gap in the wrought iron gate fence and back towards her apartment. She needed to grab a shower and a change of clothes before driving to John's house. She wasn't too sure if he was due home soon or if he'd be on the road for another couple of weeks but nevertheless, Chase would do the job she was being paid for.

She jumped into the shower, lathering her hair with shampoo before rinsing it and smoothing conditioner through her long locks. Chase washed herself off and climbed out, ensconsing herself in a large fluffy towel fragranced with lavender and frangipani flower. A quick browse through her wardrobe had her slipping on a cream lacy thong and matching bra, a pair of denim shorts accessorized with a multicoloured striped scarf belt, a long white racerback vest top with loose relaxed fit and dipped hem and a pair of tan coloured gladiator sandals with cut-out detailing. A quick blow dry to her locks and she was done. Popping a lace overlay cream trilby on her head, she grabbed her keys and a bag with her purse, water bottle and numerous other items stuck inside it and she was out of the door, heading towards Lake O' Lakes.

The house was quiet, in fact the whole street had been quiet when Chase arrived; Kain letting her in through the gate without even asking to see her I.D card this time. Her I.D card was always on her person just incase a different guard happened to be working the gate, she couldn't afford to take any chances. Parking her car on the driveway, Chase got out, but couldn't tell whether John was home or not as he always stored his own car in his garage.

She used her key to get in the door and shut it behind her; disabling the alarm before it started wailing loudly, heading through to the kitchen, she looked around. No cups used, no dirty plates in the sink, nothing had been touched since she left. It certainly didn't seem like he was home at all. Chase threw her keys down on the counter, took her hat off and then tied her hair back with a spare band she had wrapped around her wrist before grabbing the empty laundry basket, fresh towels and sheets she'd piled up a few days before and a dusting cloth with a can of polish she threw into the empty basket and headed upstairs; flicking on a radio to allow music to drift through the house.

* * *

><p>"Is this chick working today?" Randy asked John as they passed through the gates of John's house community, the car moving almost silently up the road towards his house "What did you say her name was?"<p>

John groaned from the passenger seat. Randy had been on his case since they got back yesterday; constantly yacking on and on and on about Chase. It was beginning to give him a sore head on top of his injured hamstring. He'd been so pissed at himself, botching a elementary move and putting himself out for 6 weeks, the last thing he needed was Randy Orton sticking his nose in. He wasn't even sure if Chase would be working; the two hadn't paid that much attention to each other over the passed few weeks. John had only been back home once since their first encounter by the pool. John found himself slipping back into the memory of their first encounter before Randy smacked him across the arm.

"What?" he groaned as his best friend pulled up outside his house.

"What was her name again? Aren't you even listening to me?"

"No, I was trying to drown you out, it's rather easy once you've mastered the technique. And her name is Chase!" John breathed out an aggravated sigh and opened his door, hobbling out onto the pavement. He glanced up at his house as he shut the door. Chase's beat up truck was parked outside the double garage "She's here. That's her car," he told Randy as he shut the door behind him and began to make his way gingerly up towards the door. Randy followed him, grunting in acknowledgement, John's large holdall dangling from one tanned hand. John threw the door open, knowing that the alarm would be off if Chase was inside the house "Chase? Are you here?" he called but got no answer. He shrugged and walked with Randy through to the kitchen.

Randy dumped John's bag at in the hall, shut the door behind him and then followed his friend to his kitchen. A bottle of water was chucked in his direction and he caught it easily, taking a deep glug from it to rehydrate himself. They'd arrived back in Florida yesterday and John had remained at their hotel after last night's show. The trainer had checked him out and put him off the roster for 6 weeks with extensive rehab to his hamstring. If he tore the muscle it could put him out for a year at the least. Randy and John barely saw each other at best since he was Smackdown whilst John remained on RAW after the superstar draft a few months prior. He usually made a point of coming down to see his best friend every two or three months in Florida; and they always met up on the road at some point, but he needed to make sure he was here more now that John was going through the divorce. Still, Randy was pleased that John had finally kicked Liz to the kerb, that little bitch had been riding on his coattails for far too long now, sponging every penny off of him that she could. Randy was certainly glad to see the back of her.

John had hopped up onto one of the stools by the breakfast bar. He wondered where Chase hadn't gotten too. She hadn't answered him when he'd called but he could hear music playing from upstairs. Surely she wasn't stupid enough to leave his house unlocked and open to whoever wanted to walk in. Despite it being a gated community, he was still a very private man. Wrestling all around the world, on TV performing for his fans, didn't leave him a lot of private time and so his home was his only sanctuary; free from anyone whom he didn't want near him. He didn't want that disturbed.

"Didn't pick you as one for Trilby hats Cena," Randy chuckled, picking up the demure lace covered hat that was lying on John's counter. He popped it onto his sheared tanned head, tipping it back with a great big grin across his lips.

"It's not mine," John took another sip of his water "Take it off man, you look like an idiot," John made a grab for the hat but Randy moved out of the way.

"I take my hat off to you Sir," Randy gave a smug smile, speaking in the worst English accent John had ever heard as he took he hat off his head and held it out for John to take.

"You mean you take my hat off to him?" Chase appeared in the doorway to the back garden, a hard bristle broom in her hand. Her fingers curved around the broom pole, flexing slightly, drawing John's eyes to a tattoo consisting of three stars inked across her wrist. They were shaded in with black and slightly off-centre which made John think that there was a star missing. She smiled at the two of them "May I have it back please?"

Randy stared at Chase, his tongue darting out to run across his lip; the way it did when he was figuring someone out. His eyes trailed across her, taking in all of her toned curves covered by her soft denim shorts and loose fitting tank top.

"Where were you?" it was meant to be light-hearted and humourous but John had the feeling it came out with a possessive edge to it "I mean...ummmm..."

"I was sweeping the dock out the back, it was filthy," she met John's eyes and then brought them back to Randy, nodding her head at the hat. Randy seemed to snap out of his trance.

"Oh yeah, here, sorry," he threw that hat to her, intending on her catching it but it was far too light and it dropped lower to the ground, getting closer to landing there before Chase stuck out the broom handle and caught it on the end, the hat spinning around it a few times. She plucked it off and sat it on her head, a cheeky smirk on her lips "Nice move, Randy laughed, smoothing a hand across his head.

"I do try," Chase moved through the room and headed to the cleaning cupboard, replacing the broom there.

"You must be Chase?" Randy called after her.

"Yeah that's me," she called back, heading back to the kitchen when she'd returned the broom to it's rightful place.

"I've heard a lot about you," Randy held his hand out for her to shake. His large hand ensconced her much smaller one, warm skin against her cooler.

"That's a surprise Mr Orton. John's never mentioned you," she smirked, pulling her hand away and glancing at John. He was smiling at the exchange between his best friend and his employee. They were sizing each other up, marking out territory though he wasn't sure if Chase was confident enough to take on Randy. She seemed to be putting up a good fight. But this was Randy's turf, more so than it was Chase's "I'm afraid there's not all that much in the fridge for you guys to eat. I can go to the store before I leave if you want?"

"Don't put yourself out Chase," John told her taking another drink of his water.

"It's alright. I won't be long," she retrieved the money that John left for grocery shopping, not having used it since she didn't know when to expect him home "I'll be back soon," he smiled at Randy and John and then left the kitchen.

Randy stared at John after Chase had left. He blinked two or three times in rapid succession.

"That's Chase? That chick is your housekeeper? She's picking up after you man?" Randy was slightly bewildered. Chase was a beauty. Not in a typical fashion but she had that certain glow about her; with those long caramel locks, bright blue eyes sparkling like large polished sapphires. They had a curious twinkle in them, she knew things she wasn't letting on and yet she still had an air of innocence about her as well.

"Yeah, why are you so curious about her?"

"I'm not. She's hot. You aren't sweet on her are you? I saw the way you were looking at her," Randy cocked his head to the side curiously.

"Fuck off man! I'm her employer. I hired her to clean my house Ran,"

"Ain't that the best way? Randy waggled his eyebrows at John "She puts a foot out of line and you get to..."

Randy and John both whipped around at the sound of scuffling feet. Chase stood with a sheepish look on her face.

"I...uhhh...I forgot my keys," she stepped into the room and timidly took her keys from the counter where they lay, scampering from the room before either man could say anything. The front door slammed behind her, mortification stung her cheeks. _Did I really just overhear them?_

Chase got to her car and she heard the door open again.

"Chase!" John hobbled around the corner, making his way to her. She got in her truck and attempted to shut the door but his large palm wrapped around metal of the door where her window was rolled down. He wrenched the door open, staring Chase down who had one foot on the ground and the other on the car floor "Listen, please," she nodded "That wasn't what you thought it was, I mean..."

"And what did I think it was John?" Chase asked trying to tug the door closed. It was a futile attempt, John was much stronger than she ever could be.

"I...I..." he stammered, holding onto the door as a flash of pain shot through his hamstring.

"You know if that's the way you let your friends talk about me, then I wonder what your enemies will say? I can take teasing as much as the next person. But I don't appreciate someone I've only just met making assumptions about my character," Chase pulled on the door again and John stumbled back, his muscle giving a violent lurch under his weight. He hobbled on it, wincing and Chase slid out of the car, bending her knees as she slipped her arm around his back to try and hold him up "You're hurt? What happened to you?" panic rose in her voice.

"I pulled my hamstring. It's nothing I can't handle," he gripped her shoulder loosely, righting himself. Chase stepped back "I'm out for six weeks but I'll be fine."

"Oh," Chase swallowed thickly. He was going to be around the house every day that she was there. Chase just prayed things didn't get awkward between them "You better get back to your friend, I'll be back soon," she scratched the side of her head and got back into the car.

"Chase?" John called on her again as she slammed the door closed "I'm sorry."

"John," Chase laughed a little "Just go back inside, I'll be back in a flash."

"Be careful. And hurry back," his lips cracked into a large grin, showing off his neat pearly white teeth. Chase laughed and reversed the car, watching him disappear in her side-mirror as she headed off to the store.

* * *

><p>Lou placed a tall glass of water in front of Chase. Standing behind the bar, she stared at her friend.<p>

"They were talking about you? This was today? Did John say something that upset you? Or was it this Randy creep?"

"It was Randy. And yeah, it was a few hours ago just before I finished...well...my shift I guess. He basically said that if I did something wrong John could show me who the boss was," Chase's face creased into a smile at the thought and the two friends started to laugh, drawing the attention of Lou's boss Carolyn. She made her way across to the two of them with a wide smile on her features.

"Chase! How lovely to see you," she greeted Chase with a firm nod and a smile "You've not been down here in a while. Lou tells me you've got a new job."

Chase nodded "Yeah, it's early days but I think my problems are going to sort themselves out."

"Well, whilst that's lovely to hear darling, remember if you need it, you've always got a job here. You're a terrific dancer and you'd make a fine addition to my bar staff."

Lou worked at a place called Sparkle in downtown Lake Magdalene. It was a pretty busy bar, owned by Carolyn Lei. Carolyn had opened the bar after being struck by inspiration from the movie Coyote Ugly and had modelled her bar off of the one in the film. The bar staff; the majority of them women aside from the DJ danced on the bar and three of them sung for the patrons who attended each night. There was nothing vulgar about it; just pure entertainment designed to make the customers spend more money. Chase often wondered why Lou worked there. She understood that it was money but Lou was a hell of a dancer - much like herself, and she could do so much better than working at Sparkle.

"Thank you. But I think I'll be alright. If I ever need it, I'll let you know," Carolyn nodded and began to walk away.

"Oh Chase, the drink's on the house," she grinned and disappeared.

"So what happened?" Lou enquired as Chase took a sip of her water.

"I left. John followed me to the car and he wouldn't let me shut the door. He asked me to listen to him. I told him if that's how he let his friends speak about me that I dread to think about his enemies. And then he hobbled back," Chase brushed a hand across her face to stop the smile breaking across her lips "And I got out the car and helped support him. He told me he'd hurt his hamstring and he'd be alright. And I got back in the car. He said sorry and I said it was okay and that I would be back soon. And then he said to me be careful and hurry back."

Lou watched Chase for a moment. It was spread across her face, as clear as day and she was going to jump on it.

"You like him," she laughed as a blush crept up Chase's cheeks "You do. You're in love with John Cena," she teased, a cackle of laughter exploding from her lips.

"I am not," Chase swatted her on the arm "Don't be so silly. I hardly know him. I'm still pissed about what Randy said. He might be sweet and charming and lovely and...and...I am not in love with him Lou," she took a sip of her water, frowning "I'm not interested in any man. He's paying me and he's paying me good for the job I do. And I am going to use the money to get myself out of this hole and then I'm moving up the ladder, getting out of here and getting a better life. I know what I want and it's certainly not John Cena."

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

_**A/N2:**_ Well...there it is. Hope you enjoyed XxX


	5. Feel Your Heart Break

_**A/N:**_ Thanks so much to everyone who has been reading. Big shout out to **Randy4rkocenahardy**, **cenarko1986**, **alana2awesome**, **ThatGirl54**, **littleone999**, **KyraJane**, **xXDeeShaXx** and **VolcomStoneBabe** for reviewing the chapter. Anyone else who read thank you to you as well :D XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own Chase, Martine, Grace and Diana. I don't own anything affiliated with the _WWE_ and I do not maintain to have the knowledge of any of the Wrestler's personal lives. Anything used in this story is for a fictional purpose and not meant to offend anyone. Thanks!

_**CHAPTER FIVE**_

Sweat poured from Chase's body as she spun in circles, pumping her arms up and down to achieve more momentum. Her muscles gave an involuntary lurch but she continued to move, dropping down onto the floor in a press-up position.

Dancing always allowed Chase to free her mind for thoughts. It was when she was at her most potent; she always came up with her best ideas whenever she danced. Where running allowed her to clear her mind and she let herself drift away into the motion of the movements, dancing was in her soul, in her blood. It was something she'd always been good at; the **only** thing she'd ever been good at. Pushing herself back to her feet, she spun around to face the mirror, stopping to take a good look at herself.

In her black track pants and a blue sports bra, Chase's body was lean and fit with toned dancer's muscles. She had a flat abdomen which was firm but without a six-pac protruding from her skin. Her waist was small, her hips were womanly but not too wide and she had a set of lean legs with sculpted calves. Surveying herself in the mirror, she didn't think she was anything special. Her hair was scraped back into a ponytail today but it normally hung in soft waves around her chest and what she considered to be her best feature were her eyes; deep blue pools framed with thick black lashes that, naturally, would rival a commerical for mascara.

A shrill ringing noise brought Chase out of her reverie and she slid to her knees, frantically rooting through her bag for her cell phone. Hitting the green button, she answered the call."

"Hello?"

"It's Martine. Grace is asking for you again. You'll need to come down now."

Chase felt her breath leave her body and she sagged further onto the floor. She bowed her head, pressing a hand to her sweaty forehead.

"I'm on my way," she replied hanging up. She threw the phone back into her bag and then reluctantly climbed to feet, threw on her black hoodie and zipped it up. She threw the strap of her bag over her shoulder and then made a beeline for the door.

* * *

><p>Horizon Bay Retirement Living in Lutz was a beautiful white building which basked in the Floridian sun. Chase pulled her beat-up truck into the parking lot. A collection of palm trees and planted flowers were displayed out the front and beautiful blooms lined the soft colour bricked pathway to the glass doors of the building.<p>

Chase rushed through it, panting from the heat of the sun. She looked around in distress for a few seconds before stepping up to reception.

"I got a phone call. I was told my grandmother Grace Hartigan was asking for me."

"Just sign here please," the nurse behind the counter thrust a clipboard and a pen at Chase in a none-too-friendly manner. Chase tutted beneath her breath and grabbed the clipboard, jotting her name down quickly before snatching the visitor's pass away from the woman. Chase wandered down the hall towards her grandmother's ward and burst through the doors. Martine stood there with her mouth open for a few moments before smiling at Chase.

"Where is she?" Chase asked. Martine pointed to the small cushioned armchair in the corner. Grace Hartigan sat in the chair, her waifish figure even more slight in her white soft cotton trousers and candyfloss pink top. Her greying hair was groomed neatly and her once vibrant blue eyes held a vacant look in them at the moment. Chase walked over, crouching down next to her grandmother, she placed a hand on the woman's knee. Grace turned her head to look at Chase, her eyes brightening.

"Chase, my sweet girl," she bent to press a kiss against Chase's still damp forehead with her wrinkled pink lips "Whatever are you doing here?"

"You were asking for me grandma," Chase smiled at her "Don't you remember?"

"Ah! Yes I think I did ask for you," her almost non-existent eyebrows furrowed together in thought "Well, I'm not sure what it was I wanted but now that you're here, how about we go out for one of those lunches we used to have all the time?"

"I'm not sure if I'm allowed to take you out of here anymore," Chase looked over her shoulder nervously. Her eyes connected with Martine who smiled softly.

"Oh please darling. Between you and me," Grace leaned closer to Chase who had now returned her full attention to Grace "The food is dreadful in here. I wouldn't feed it to a dog," she laughed, making Chase laugh again.

"Well...I guess it'll be okay. I'll get you a wheelchair," she stood up and walked towards Martine who stood at the desk "I'm going to take her out of here for a little while Martine. I'll bring her back in a couple of hours."

"Absolutely not!" Chase glanced over Martine's shoulder to see Diana - the head nurse, standing there "That's not even thinkable Miss Chalmers, your grandmother won't be going anywhere."

"Would you like to argue with me? I'm paying for her care, you're getting $4000 out of me every month to keep her in good health and to look after her. You've no right to tell me if I can take her out or not."

Diana spluttered "It's not in her best interest. Besides she's no longer getting the best level of care here anymore. This facility is no longer equipped to deal with your grandmother's condition."

"I'm trying to find a new place for her just now!" Chase growled "So while I'm keeping you in employment, why don't you just take care of her and keep your mouth shut!" Chase had had enough of how this woman spoke to people. She'd had a stick up her ass ever since Chase had moved Grace into Horizon Bay "Martine could you get me a wheelchair for my grandmother?" she smiled sickly sweet at Diana and thanked Martine just before stepping away from the desk.

Once Grace was safely inside her truck and buckled up, Chase took a few moments to compose herself. It was only getting worse. Her grandmother asked for her at all times of the day and night. She didn't have the time to answer every call of distress because she knew they were pointless. Grace forgot what she was in distress about sometimes as little as 10 minutes later. Today was proof. She'd demanded Chase come down to Horizon Bay but had soon forgotten the reason she was there.

Chase wiped a stray tear and then climbed in the car "How about I take you to that restaurant that you always loved up in Land O' Lakes?" Grace grinned widely and nodded, turning to stare out of the window as Chase pulled the truck away from the residential home.

* * *

><p>"C'mon grandma," Chase held Grace's frail arms with her hands, helping her out of the truck and into the wheelchair she'd unfolded on the sidewalk. Grace held tightly onto her granddaughter and slipped easily into the wheelchair.<p>

"I don't need this thing Chase," she tutted as she told her granddaughter but Chase shook her head.

"You know you can't walk far," Chase replied as she shut the door and locked the truck up, returning to her grandmother's side. She made sure Grace's feet were hooked on the footrests and then walked around to the back of the wheelchair and began to push the chair down the street "Why don't you like Horizon Bay grandma?"

"Because it's full of in-bred nitwits who wouldn't know a sick person if one hit them in the face!"

"But grandma," Chase protested "They take care of you. You can't take care of yourself. And I don't have enough space to take care of you. But I've got a new job so I'll be able to move you to somwhere better real..."

"Chase?" Chase's head popped up and she stared open-mouthed and in shock at John Cena climbing out of his truck. He shut the door behind him, smiled at her and then limped closer to her. He was still undergoing vigorous training to rehab his hip and it was obviously still bothering him.

"John!" Chase yelped in surprise followed by a stilted giggle "What...what are you doing here?"

"I live here," he gestured to the downtown area of Land O' Lakes.

"Ummmm...yeah I know that," she mumbled "But I mean what are you doing here? Like right now?"

He scratched the back of his neck nervously "I was actually driving down to Lake Magdalene to...umm...see you. I wanted to..."

"Chase! Who is your friend?" Grace cut in on John's sentence when she became aware that the wheelchair had stopped moving and Chase was talking to someone. Grace glanced up at John but the sun was quite bright and most of his features were washed out by the harsh glare.

"Ummmm...this is John," Chase brought her soft gaze to John's face "John this is my grandmother Grace Hartigan."

John beamed down at Grace and bent down further so she could see him. He took her hand, with it's paper thin wrinkled skin and shook it gently before pressing a soft kiss to the back of it "It's lovely to meet any relative of Chase's. I can see where she gets her blue eyes from."

"Aren't you a charmer and a handsome one at that? We were just going for lunch. Why don't you join us?"

"Oh I couldn't. I really..."

"Didn't you just say you were looking for Chase?" John nodded "Well then I absolutely insist that you join us."

John looked to Chase for guidance but she just smiled weakly.

"Alright then."

* * *

><p>Chase spent most of the lunch chewing on the side of her left thumbnail as her grandmother ate and chatted away to John about anything and everything.<p>

"Well it was absolutely lovely to meet you Grace," John said as they left the restaurant and Chase pushed Grace's wheelchair along towards her truck.

"It was very nice to meet you too young man," Grace smiled at John "It's a wonder that Chase has been keeping you under wraps."

"Oh grandma, it's not..."

"Nonsense Chase," Grace started to push herself up out of her chair as they stopped next to Chase's truck. Chase opened the door and turned to help her grandmother but John was already there and he scooped Grace's tiny frame into his arms and deposited her in the car with ease.

"Thank you," Chase smiled sincerely for the first time all afternoon and John stepped back to let her buckle up Grace's seatbelt. Chase closed the door behind her "Thanks for coming to lunch John. I think it kind of made her day."

"She's seems special to you," he regarded Grace through the car window "I was being truthful when I said I was driving down to see you. I have something to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Chase was suddenly nervous.

"Ummm...well...I don't really think here is a suitable place. So why don't you come by the house once you've driven your grandmother back home."

"Is it really that important?"

"It is for me. Please Chase."

The way John said her name had Chase agreeing on the spot and she bid him goodbye and got in the car, waving to him as she pulled off.

"Did you have a good time today grandma?"

"Oh yes sweetheart, I had a wonderful time."

"It was very sweet of John to come to lunch with us. What do you think of him?"

Grace was silent for a few moments.

"John? Who is John?"

Chase felt her heart break a little further as she continued on her drive towards Horizon Bay.

"No one grandma. It's not important."

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

_**A/N2:**_ I hope you liked this chapter. Review and let me know :P XxX


	6. Preparing For The Blow

_**A/N:**_ I can't actually thank you guys enough for reviewing this story, the amount of alerts and reviews I've been getting is amazing. I love you all so much. Thank you to **cenarko1986**, **PiscesBornBaby**, **Randy4rkocenahardy**, **alana2awesome**, **ThatGirl54**, **quidditchandsonicscrewdivers**, **hOtlilmofo**, **rhodesXmorrisonXorton**, **VolcomStoneBabe**, **johnsnaughtygirl**, **LolaCherry**, **sweetcandy apple**, **KyraJane** and **BingoBaby** for leaving reviews. Anyone else who alerted and/or read, thanks to you as well XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own Chase and Grace. I don't own anything affiliated with the _WWE_ and I do not maintain to have the knowledge of any of the Wrestler's personal lives. Anything used in this story is for a fictional purpose and not meant to offend anyone. Thanks!

_**CHAPTER SIX**_

"John?" Chase called as she stepped into the house, shaking herself off. Drops of rainwater flew in multiple directions and she could hear the soft squelch of her shoes on the hardwood floor below her "Hello?" she called out again, stepping further into the house. Chase unzipped her hoodie, revealing her blue sports bra and stripped off the sopping wet material, hanging it up on a hook near her. A uncomfortable feeling settled in her gut, this was the most undressed she'd been in front of John aside from their first meeting when she'd crawled out of the pool.

A streak of lightening flashed through the house, followed by a low rumbling sound. Tampa seemed to be in the middle of a freak thunderstorm.

A shiver ran up Chase's spine as she stepped into the sitting room, her flesh pebbling with goosebumps. She drew a deep breath in and let it out, her eyes darting around in search of John.

Another flash burst in front of Chase's vision and she was startled significantly when John appeared out of nowhere from behind her, her name tumbling from his lips. She jumped and turned on the spot, pressing a hand to her chest just above her breast.

"You scared me," she breathed out softly "Where did you come from?"

Chase's eyes roved across John's body, clothed in a pair of knee-length board shorts and a white wife-beater. He had a towel wrapped around his neck and was rubbing is back and forth gently.

"I was in the gym downstairs. I never heard your car pull up," he twisted his lips softly "Sorry about that," he moved closer to her, limping more considerably than the last time she saw him.

"That's really giving you some problems huh?"

"Yeah, it's pretty painful," he winced, pressing his palm onto the back of the sofa to help support himself "You're soaking," he looked at her jogging pants and sports bra, water droplets sparsely coating her toned abdomen and bare arms, dripping down from her hair "It's pretty wild out there."

"It just came out of nowhere," Chase brushed the back of her forearm across as she glanced out of the window and then brought her eyes back to John "So what was so important that you had to see me now?"

"Shower," he muttered.

"Excuse me?" Chase cocked one eyebrow at him "You wanted to talk about the shower?"

"No," he sighed with a grin "You need to shower. You're shivering," he pointed his finger to the smattering of gooseflesh she had on her arms and shoulders.

She glanced down at herself and shook her head "I'll be fine. It's just a bit of water."

"Chase," John almost growled her name lowly "I'm not going to have you catching your death. This might be Florida but you could still get sick. You know where the guest bedroom is. What I've got to say will wait."

His warm blue eyes pierced through her, sending another shiver up her spine but this time for a completely different reason, forcing her to relent and agree to the shower.

"Alright, I won't be long," she told him and passed him, heading upstairs.

* * *

><p>The torrent of hot water poured down across Chase as she stood under the spray, feeling thankful as the warmth seeped into her bones. John had been right, she had been freezing and a hot shower was exactly the thing she needed. Climbing out, she found the heated towel rack stocked full with the fluffiest white towels she'd ever felt. Toweling the drips from her hair, she then wrapped one huge bath sheet around her body, bundling herself up in the soft, warm fabric. For the first time in a long time she felt revitalised, relaxed and fresh.<p>

What did John want to speak to her about that was so important it couldn't wait until tomorrow when she would be back at the house?

Dread filled Chase's body and she pressed a hand to her forehead as she stepped out of the bathroom. What if John wanted to fire her? What if he didn't need her anymore and that's why it couldn't wait because she wouldn't be coming back to the house again? If he fired her, she would never be able to afford her grandmother's care. She was pushing it already even though John was highly overpaying her.

Chase's eyes surveyed the guest bedroom. The walls were painted a deep shade of teal with pristine white ceilings, coving and beading. It had dark teak flooring with a thick-pile teal rug thrown at the foot of the bed. The bed itself was a large affair; a wooden king-sized sleigh bed with intricately carved headboard and footboard, egyptian cotton sheets in teal and white and silk throw cushions draped across the top for decoration. Two sets of ceiling to floor windows lined one wall and opened up onto the back garden which in turn looked onto the lake behind the house. The room was equipped with a large walk-in wardrobe effectively hidden behind sliding teak doors. A vintage inspired teak vanity was pressed along one wall complete with a stool and carved mirror and a small bedside table was situated next to the bed, topped with an old age candle holder; three unused white candles standing in the holders. A large blue glass vase stood on the desk at the other side of the bed, filled with wilting white lilies.

Her eyes fell on the bed where a small bundle sat that hadn't been there when she stepped into the shower. Approaching the bed, she smiled slightly, noticing John had left her clothes. In the pile there was what looked like an old pair of boxer shorts and a soft long sleeved checked shirt which was sure to drown her frame. Chase pulled the clothes on, inhaling the musky scent from the fabric as it draped across her frame. The sleeves of the shirt covered her hands completely and the hem of it almost reached beyond the shorts. She lifted a brush from the vanity and pulled it through her locks, using the band she'd secured it with previously to weave her hair into a side plait.

John was gone from the living room when she came downstairs. The house was warm and the inviting scent of melting cheese wafted through the air. She stepped through the house, heading for the kitchen and found John scooping what looked like cheesy pasta onto two plates. She cleared her throat and he glanced up, one corner of his lips turning up as his eyes took in the clothes he'd left for her which were now adorned on her body. They drowned her lithe frame as she stood nervously against the wooden beam of the door, her shoulder pushed against it.

"Hey. I thought you might like something warm to eat," he finished plating up the pasta, breaking eye contact with her.

"That's really nice of you but I didn't think you'd eat stuff like this," he looked up as she pointed at the pasta now plated neatly. John turned to dispose of the pot in the sink of soapy water and shrugged.

"I don't normally. But I think I can make an exception, just for tonight," he winked at her and Chase felt a flush heat her cheeks. She looked down, fiddling with the long cuffs of the shirt before padding slowly towards the counter and taking a seat on one of the stools. John placed the plate of steaming pasta in front of her, her nostrils flaring as the smell floated into the them. A fork was placed next to it and Chase picked it up, spearing some pasta and bringing it to her mouth, letting the flavour and texture swim across her palette as she chewed "You want something to drink?" John grinned at her. She brought a hand to her mouth, covering it as she swallowed slowly.

"Ummmm...just water please?" he nodded and poured her glass from the tap. John sat opposite her; far enough away to give each of them space to eat but close enough that she could reach out and touch his hand if she wanted to, and started to eat, spooning forkful after forkful of pasta into his mouth. She grinned to herself and continued to eat her pasta in silence, dragging it across the plate to pace herself.

"You don't like it?" he asked after a few moments and she lifted her head so quickly she felt dizzy.

"No, it's really nice. I...I'm just a slow eater," she blushed a little and ate another mouthful of the pasta. It really was very good but her stomach was in knots. She was desperate to know what he wanted to tell her "It reminds me of my mom actually. She used to make cheesy pasta when I was a little girl," Chase smiled fondly.

"What happened to her?" he could sense the sadness in her voice when she spoke about her mother.

"She died when I was 5. She had breast cancer," Chase rubbed her arm across her forehead, forcing back the tears as she spoke about her mom. It was still hard bringing it up, more so because of everything else that had happened "It was just me and my dad. He raised me on his own, the best he could. But he never got over her death, he loved her so much," she swallowed thickly "He was killed in a car accident 6 years ago. My grandfather was with him in the car. It mounted the barrier and..."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I'm okay," she smiled softly "It mounted the barrier and crashed into oncoming cars on the opposite side. They were killed instantly."

"I'm so sorry Chase," John placed his fork down on the near empty plate. He stretched his hand out ever so slightly and placed it across hers. She sniffed and smiled, watching as he flicked back the cuff of the shirt and flipped her arm over gently. The graze of his finger across the ink on her wrist had heat coursing through her body. Her breath hitched as he counted the three stars "This is what these stars are for?" she nodded slowly "There's one missing."

"I know," a dry sob left her mouth. She pulled in a deep breath and composed herself "She's dying too John. It won't be long till my grandmother leaves as well. She's all I've got left and I'm going to lose her too," he scooted his stool around towards her and pulled it close to hers. Chase swivelled around on hers to face him and John took both of her hands

"It's alright. I don't know how hard it is to lose a parent Chase and I can't understand what you're going through but if you ever want to talk, I'm here for you okay?" she nodded and he let go of one of her hands, reaching across to tip her chin up with his forefinger "I'm serious. Don't ever hesitate to come to me," his voice was dark and smooth like velvet. He cupped her cheek softly and wiped a stray tear with his thumb, the only one that fell from her eyes "Is that why you're working here, for me. To pay for Grace's care?"

Chase nodded "This is the only job that will help me afford it. It's $4000 a month. What dancing job is ever going to pay that amount?"

"Dancing?" he raised his eyebrows at her.

"It's what I'm trained to do," a small laugh burst from her lips "My life is a complete mess. The last thing I need is putting my problems on to you like some sort of charity case," she tried to turn away but John held firm on her hands.

"I don't think you're a charity case. But I'd like to think of myself as a friend."

"I feel so ridiculous, sobbing all over the place. My life in none of your concern John, I can't ask you for any more than you're already giving me. You're helping me pay for my grandmother's care. I'll sort everything else out."

"What else is there?" his eyebrows almost met his hairline.

"Nothing, don't worry about it. Just tell me..."

"I do worry about it. Tell me Chase," John narrowed his eyes at her. This girl was an emotional wreck, she'd been through so much. She wasn't the kind of girl he would normally go for but he couldn't deny the attraction was there. There was just something about her, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on but it simmered beneath the surface. All he wanted to do was help her.

She shook her head at him but he silenced her protests with a slight narrowing of his eyes, pleading with her to tell him.

"Ummmm...where do I start? I've got a student loan to pay off worth $40,000. I've got no healthcare and I live in the tiniest little bedsit you've ever seen. Because I want Grace's last days to be comfortable. I want her to have the best and Horizon Bay is the best. I keep telling her I'm moving her somewhere better, she doesn't like it there. She never remembers what I tell her though, she doesn't even remember you," John's knitted his brows closely at this "So if it means that everything else needs to wait whilst I take care of her then so be it."

"She's got Alzheimer's?" he asked and Chase nodded.

"My problems aren't really worth your time John. All you need to be concerned about is that I'm doing what you pay me to do. And I'm going to continue to do that right?"

John pulled his hands away from her and panic settled low in her stomach. He was going to fire her now. Even after she's spilled all of her problems onto him.

Chase closed her eyes, preparing for the blow.

"That's...umm...that's what I wanted to talk to you about Chase," she flicked her eyes open at the sound of her name, meeting his warm blue eyes "I want you to move in."

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

_**A/N2:**_ Sorry it's taken me so long to get this up. I hope you're all still reading. Hope you enjoyed XxX


	7. Get Down On Your Knees, Fall At My Feet

_**A/N:**_ Thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter. Shoutout to **cenarko1986**, **peeps8705**, **ThatGirl54**, **AngelsDestiny22**, **BingoBaby**, **TheeEveFan**, **Randy4rkocenahardy**, **rhodesXmorrisonXorton**, **littleone999**, **hOtlilmofo**, **xXParieceXx**, **Nat-Nat 360**, **stuffoflegends** and **kkrazybean **for reviewing the last chapter. XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own Chase and Grace. I don't own anything affiliated with the _WWE_ and I do not maintain to have the knowledge of any of the wrestler's personal lives. Anything used in this story is for a fictional purpose and not meant to offend anyone. Thanks!

_**CHAPTER SEVEN**_

Chase licked her lips softly, her throat feeling dry. John's dark blue eyes bore into her own and she felt herself forced to break their stare. She could feel the tear tracks on her face slowly fading, her skin becoming dry. Blinking at him two or three times, her mouth opened and closed a few times in quick succession before she found the power to actually answer him.

"You want what?" she closed her eyes, shaking her head at him before opening her eyes once more.

"I..guess that kind of came out wrong. I want you to move in temporarily to help me out. My leg is really giving me a lot of problems and I could really use someone hands-on who would be around quite a lot to help me out," John stood up and took both plates from the table, getting rid of the excess pasta and dumping the plates down into the soapy water in the sink "It sounds like it would help you out quite a lot too. You wouldn't need to pay rent here, I'm not bothered about that. And that would save a bit of that money that you get..."

"Paid to clean the house?" Chase raised an eyebrow at John "I'm not sure whether to feel blessed or offended. I'm grateful for everything you've given me but I have to draw a line somewhere. I can only take so much. And quite frankly you've given me enough. On the other hand, I am not a nurse John. I can hardly ensure that I am in the house 24/7 to help you. I...I've got friends, I've got things I need to do. What if you need me and I'm not here?"

"But there's a good chance that you **will** be here. I'm not asking you to drop everything just because I'm paying you to clean my house Chase. I just...I don't like having to ask for help," John placed his hands onto his hips, hanging his head low "It's not in my nature. I'm the kind of guy who always helps, I never have to ask for help. I...I just need this one thing from you."

Chase held her breath. The way his words were imploring her to help him. He needed her and she really couldn't say no to him.

"Okay," she responded simply. There was no better answer than agreeing to move in, he was right, it did help her in the long run.

"Okay?" he raised his eyebrows "You'll really move in?" he almost beamed at her.

Chase laughed "Don't get overly excited. It's just temporary."

"Of course," he turned away from her, moving back to the sink to wash the dishes, placing them up to dry on the drainer by the sink. Chase watched the movement of the muscles in his back, twisting and twitching with every swipe his hand made against the crockery in the sink "Hey! Looks like the storm is over."

"Yeah," she sighed "I should get going. I...I need to be up early tomorrow."

John turned to face her, his blue eyes meeting her own "Why?"

"I've got dancing practice with my friends. I need a good nights sleep," she laughed, standing up "My clothes should be dry by now."

"Why don't you just stay here?" he asked "You've already said you'll move in. I'll take you to your practice tomorrow, it's not like I've got anything better to do," he shrugged.

"Oh no! I can't ask you to do that John."

"I don't mind. Seriously!"

Chase bit her bottom lip, the fleshy pad cushioning the blow of her teeth. Licking over the wound, she furrowed her brows together.

"Only if you're sure? I don't want to trouble you."

"You could never be any trouble Chase," he grinned widely at her.

* * *

><p>Chase stood bracing her hip against the kitchen counter. She'd had the best nights sleep. The spare room was the most comfortable place she'd slept in, for as long as she could remember and she'd grudged getting up out of it. If she'd had her way, she would have lay there all day. Picking up the steaming mug of coffee she'd poured herself, she inhaled the strong aroma billowing out of the top and smiled to herself, before taking a large mouthful from it.<p>

"Morning," John sighed, hobbling into the kitchen a few moments later. He grinned sleepily at her, stretching his arms above his head, lifting the hem of his t-shirt to show off the tantalizing strip of fair hair which trailed down into his shorts "Got enough coffee for me?"

Chase nodded and grabbed a cup to pour some for John. Handing it over to him, he chugged it down pretty quickly "I'll just jump up for a shower and get changed. What time do you need to be there?"

"I can drive myself, you don't have to take me."

"I don't mind. I won't be long," he chuckled before hobbling back out of the kitchen and taking the stairs.

* * *

><p>Chase directed John to the studio where she met with Lou and Haley to practice. It wasn't really like any of them had anything to practice for but dancing was a mutual love, something that had brought them together and they didn't want to let that go. Upon pulling up, Chase could see that Lou's car was already parked there but Haley's was nowhere in sight, meaning she was either inside with Lou or was going to be late, that latter more than likely.<p>

"Thanks for the lift. I'll catch a ride with Lou on the way back," she smiled at him, leaning over to push the passenger door open.

"Don't be stupid. I'll wait for you," John laughed, turning the ignition off.

"But...but I'm going to be here a while," she almost spluttered at him, knitting her brows together in confusion "You can't wait out here."

"Which is precisely why I'm coming in with you."

She shook her head at him instantly "Oh no! That last thing you want to do is watch a bunch of girls dancing. I'm sure you've got something better to do with your time."

He shrugged "Not really. My physio isn't until this afternoon so I'm pretty much free until then. Look Chase, you get to see what I love doing every single week on live television. I just want to watch you. I want to see what you love too."

Chase was silent for several moments before she relented "Okay. But don't say I didn't warn you," she pushed the door open and got out of the car, shutting it behind her. John followed closely behind her, flashing her his trademark smirk as they entered the studio building.

"Finally!" Lou sighed as Chase pushed the door open to the studio "I wondered what kept you. Were you over cleaning..." she stopped her sentence midway when she spotted the other person coming in behind Chase. She swallowed as Chase closed the door behind her, flashing her a soft smile.

"Did I hear you say Chase was here? She wasn't over fucking that boss..." Haley came marching through the doors from the other side, stopping in her tracks when she saw John standing there, his hands awkwardly shoved into his pockets "Hi," she grinned at him.

Chase's cheeks flamed redder than she could ever have imagined and she quickly stripped her black zipper off and threw it on the floor along with her bag "Guys this is John. John, these are my best friends Lou and Haley," she introduced the three of them to each other. Things were intensely quiet for a moment before John stuck his hand out, shaking both of the girl's hands; one at a time "He gave me a lift so he's going to be staying while we practice," she turned to John "You can take a seat over there if you like?" she pointed to the large benches "Feel free to wander about as well," he nodded with a smile and took off, hobbling awkwardly towards the bench to sit down and rest his leg.

Chase stepped up to one of the mirrors, Haley and Lou hot on her tail "What the hell Chase? What is he doing here?"

She sighed, looking at her two friends through the mirror "It's a long story. I tried to tell him no but..." she glanced across her shoulder at him "He doesn't seem to take no for an answer. It's only for today, he'll be back on the road in a few weeks anyway. Can you guys please, just let it go for this one time?"

Haley growled beneath her breath. The three friends had always agreed that what goes on in practice, stays in practice. They'd never let anyone sit in and watch them in all the time they'd been dancing together. But there seemed to be a first for everything.

"Fine! But we want to know what is going on," Lou hissed at her.

"I...I...he asked me to move into the house," both of her friends gasped, Haley instantly searching Chase's left hand for a diamond "Not like that," she sighed "To help with his leg. It's really giving him problems but it means I don't need to pay rent on that bedsit anymore. He said I can stay for free and concentrate on paying off my student loans and paying for Grace's care."

"You told him about Grace?"

"No...I mean yes...I mean he bumped into us when I was taking her for lunch yesterday. There wasn't much I could do to hide it."

"Does he know about your parents?" Lou asked, looking back at John who gave her a small wave as his lips turned up at the corners. He was amused by the huddle that the three girls were in, clearly they were having some sort of private conversation which involved him.

"Yes! I told him. I know I said I wasn't a sob story but it just came tumbling out. I couldn't stop it. He's just so...nice," she breathed a sigh of relief, not fighting the smile on her face.

"You like him!" Haley jumped on it instantly "You fucking like him!" he whispered gleefully.

"I don't...I mean I do...I don't know. Why can't my life just be simple?"

"Life never is simple," Lou rubbed a hand up and down Chase's arm "Let's just get this over with. The longer we put it off, the longer we'll be here."

The three girls agreed and proceeded to disperse the huddle and line up along the front of the mirror, putting their bodies through a vigourous warm up and stretching session as John watched them. Chase was nervous about John watching her work out and her dancing. Being a professional athlete allowed him to critique her workout methods and she was nervous about any feedback he may want to give them.

He watched in silence as the three girls put on music and silently began to go through each routine; passion and vibrance showing through every move they made.

Chase watched John as he watched them. She would sneak glances at him when certain moves allowed her to without being caught. He was watching them with rapt attention, never taking his eyes off of them until his phone rang and he stood up, moving away from them to take a phonecall. Chase turned her head away from him, back to the mirror, and continued on dancing beside Lou and Haley.

When John had finished his call, he returned to his seat on the bench, his eyes instantly finding Chase once more.

The girls were in the middle of a complicated series of twists and turns and Chase caught John's eyes through the mirror, throwing her off balance and forcing her to trip over her own feet, hitting the ground with a loud thud. The music jumped and Lou and Haley stopped dancing, rushing down to Chase's level.

"Chase?" panic rose in John's voice as he hobbled across to her, gritting his teeth together as he strained his hamstring bending down to her level. She was huddled up, her head pushed into her arms which were folded across her bent up knees.

"Are you alright chicken?" Lou touched her shoulder, smiling when Chase popped her head up.

"I'm fine," she smiled "I've just got a bit of bruised ego...and a bruised bum," she laughed, reaching her hands out to her two friends, letting them pull her up from the floor. The three of them laughed and John breathed a visible sigh of relief. She turned to him, looking down at him bent on his knees at her feet "You weren't worried about me were you?" she laughed, giving him a hand up.

"A little bit," he chuckled.

"I think we should call it a day," Chase said to Lou and Haley.

"Yeah, I've got to get to work," Lou said. John had already picked up Chase's things for her and was handing them to her, pressing his hand into the small of her back to lead her out of the door, once she'd said goodbye to her friends.

"Ladies," he smiled at them and tipped his head, pulling the studio door closed behind him. They descended the stairs from the studio as Chase threw on her zipper, slinging her bag across her shoulder. The ends of her hair were matted to her forehead from sweat and she felt really gross.

"I think I need a shower," she laughed.

"Maybe. But I'm starving. How about some lunch?"

She looked up at him, his blue eyes twinkling in the sunshine softly.

"Okay."

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

_**A/N2:**_ I know it has taken me forever and ever and ever to get this up but it's here now. I really hope you like it XxX


	8. We Lose Sight Of The Ground

_**A/N:**_ Huge thank you to **Nat-Nat 360**, **AngelsDestiny22**, **ThatGirl54**, **Randy4rkocenahardy**, **rhodesXmorrisonXorton**, **alana2awesome**, **BingoBaby**, **xXParieceXx**, **TheeEveFan**, **KyraJane**, **poisenousprincess**, **stuffoflegends** and **Loving yesterday** for reviewing the last chapter. Enjoy! XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own Chase, Nicole and Carolyn. I don't own anything affiliated with the _WWE_ and I do not maintain to have the knowledge of any of the Wrestler's personal lives. Anything used in this story is for a fictional purpose and not meant to offend anyone. Thanks!

_**CHAPTER EIGHT**_

John gripped the bar of the bench press in his hands tightly, forcing the weight above his head. His hands were damp with perspiration and despite all of his effort, he could feel the weight slipping. Had it not been for Randy's quick actions, the bar would have fallen firmly across his chest, crushing him. The younger of the two men helped to pull the bar onto it's rest, letting out a deep sigh.

"Dude! What the hell is wrong with you? You're not even concentrating, man."

"I know," John sat up, resting his elbows on his thighs, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand "My head's just not in it today."

"Today?" Randy snarled at him "It's not been in it for weeks. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Chase is gone," John huffed, standing up from the bench. He began to pace the floor, randomly muttering half sentences in Randy's direction.

"This is about that chick? I told you not to let her get into your head. What the hell did I say, John?" the St Louis native glared at his best friend. He was tired of having to give the other man pep talks and help him out of sticky situations. They'd had each other's back for years but it was becoming a more common occurence for John to get in way over his head lately. And Randy was always left picking up the pieces.

"She isn't just some chick, Randy," John groaned, running his hands through his short hair "We got really close when I tore my hamstring. You've always seemed to have this issue with her. Man, what the fuck is it that you don't like? She's just a really good friend and I care about her."

Randy was really building up a strong dislike for Chase. She was throwing John for a loop and had been ever since she showed up, ever since Liz hired her. He wasn't stupid, he knew Liz had hired Chase to provide a distraction for John and it was sure as hell working. What Randy couldn't understand was why John couldn't see through all the bullshit? And what was the bitch getting out of driving John to the depths of depression only for the amusement of his soon to be ex-wife?

"What the hell did you do?" Randy asked lowly.

"Does it matter? It's not like you've got any interest."

"I'm all ears," Randy narrowed his eyes at the older man as he dropped down to sit on the bench, staring up the other wrestler "Enlighten me."

* * *

><p><em>2 Months Ago<em>

John had been back on the road for a few weeks and Chase was still trying to get used to the solitude that being in the house alone afforded her. It was so quiet and boredom had quickly begun to set back in now that John was no longer there to keep her amused. His hamstring had healed rather quickly but in the short period of time that he'd been around, Chase had grown accustomed to having him there. He was due another trip back to Florida within the next few days but Chase expected that it would be a flying visit, home for just one or two days. But hopefully he would regale her with stories of being on the road, something to distract her from her mundane life in Land O' Lakes. Her grandmother's health had slowly been declining and she was now bedridden in the home which Chase paid for. She deeply wished she could afford to keep Grace in a more comfortable environment but there was just no way that she could ask John for anymore help. Chase just prayed that she didn't lose her grandmother any time soon, she wasn't sure her heart could take much more hurt.

It was another few days, as Chase predicted, before John arrived back in Florida. He had informed her that it was a quick visit and that he was only back to catch up on some sleep and get some new clothes packed for wearing between shows on the road. He spent his first night eating Chase's homecooked lasagne, and despite all of his protests that he didn't eat saturated fats, he devoured two large portions of the stuff. He also told her some funny stories about his time being back on the road and the kind of shit that he, Randy and Phil Brooks; aka CM Punk, got up to whilst they were travelling. His stories gave Chase a little bit of amusement and cheered her up, bringing her out of her state of boredom.

The following day, Chase had another dance practice with Haley and Lou. The girls went through their routines and talked about putting together a new sequence before they headed to Sparkle to get some drinks.

"So how are things with Mr Cena?" Haley waggled her eyebrows at Chase as they sat down in a corner booth inside the bar.

"Fine," Chase commented loosely, averting her eyes from her friends as she took a sip of her drink.

"Just fine?" Lou asked, sliding into the booth next to her two friends. She and Haley gave Chase a quizzical stare, hoping their friend would open up to them.

"Yeah, everything's fine. It was pretty good while he was around but now that he's back on the road, I'm a little bored. It's not exactly much fun being holed up in the house by myself all day," the dancer shrugged.

"And has anything happened between you two?" Lou queried, curious about her friend's live-in situation with the WWE superstar.

"No!" Chase snapped but her lips turned up at the corners "And nothing is going to happen. It's not like that, we're just friends."

Even as Chase said those words, they tasted strange in her mouth. She couldn't deny there was a spark between herself and John but that didn't mean that anything was going to come of it. Thousands of people were attracted to one another on a daily basis but it didn't mean that they made any moves. They were just friends, just really good friends. And that's all.

John wasn't in the house when Chase returned home after her get together with her friends and she was left to wallow in the quietness of the house once more. She ran a bath for herself, filled with hot, bubbly water and proceeded to sink into it's depths, allowing the warmth to soothe her aching muscles. She felt relaxed as she left the bathroom and slipped into her bed, her mind only focusing on her plan for the following day of cleaning the house from top to bottom before she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

John was a no show for breakfast the following morning, however, Chase did find herself with another unexpected guest. The woman stumbled into the kitchen, her blonde curls piled on top of her head in some rats nest, sleep mussed up-do. Her minimal make-up was smudged from sleep and she still wore last nights clothes. Chase stared at her, her hand curled around the silver spoon she was using to eat her cereal.

"Sorry," the woman squeaked, her voice hazy from the hangover that was kicking in "I'm just leaving," she informed Chase. Chase nodded slowly, swallowing her mouthful of cereal "I'm Nicole," she told the younger girl "Have you seen Johnny?" she quirked a pencil-drawn eyebrow at Chase.

"Nope," Chase got up and deposited her bowl in the sink of soapy water.

"Oh," Nicole's pouty lips formed a round shape "You don't seem upset or anything, you're not his wife right?"

"No," Chase smirked at the girl "I'm not his wife. John," Chase enunciated his name "Isn't married, well, not for much longer."

Nicole swayed on her feet a little, casting a curious glance at Chase when she told her she wasn't John's wife. Chase knew the woman wanted to ask who she was but she seemed to be finding it more and more difficult to speak. The blonde hiccuped and then shook her head a little before she turned her eyes towards the front door "Tell him I said bye."

"I sure will," Chase watched her stumble out of the door and she let out a sigh and shook her head. If it was one thing Chase had never bcome victim to, it was the walk of shame. She'd never snuck out of a boyfriend's house and been caught walking home in the same clothes, or been confronted by a member of his family. It didn't exactly paint the picture of dignity. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Chase made a sound of mock disgust before grabbing the laundry basket and heading upstairs. If Nicole had woken up alone, then where the hell was John?

Chase soon found him. He was in the kitchen when she came back down from collecting the laundry and the bedsheets from the bedrooms in the house. With his back leaning gently against the counter and a glass of water in his hands, he painted the perfect picture of relaxation. He sent a lazy grin in Chase's direction which soon turned into a frown as she tossed two scraps of black lace at his feet.

"What's that?" he glanced down at his feet, his eyes finding that the scraps were a bra and panties set.

"Those are Nicole's bra and panties. Perhaps you might like to return them to her," Chase narrowed her eyes at him as she dropped the laundry basket to the floor with a dull thud.

"Chase," John groaned, closing his eyes "It's not what..."

"Not what I think?" Chase chuckled at him "Don't make me feel stupid, John. I know what the walk of shame looks like," she shook her head at him "You know something? I'm not bothered about cleaning your house, picking up your dirty clothes, tidying, dusting, cleaning, you pay me well enough not to be bothered about doing it. I'm not even bothered about making sure your conquests know the way out. But I am not going to pick their underwear out of your bed because they were too drunk to find it for themselves. I do have a little bit of dignity left in me."

John placed his now empty glass down on the counter "I'm sorry, I didn't even know you were home last night. I didn't think you would see Nicole leaving. It was really insenstive of me."

"You're damn right it was!" Chase glared at him "I'm not naive enough to believe that you're not sleeping with people. You're a guy and guys have needs. I don't ask for much. I respect you because this is your home and you're letting me stay here. The least you could do is not rub my face in it."

"I'm sorry, Chase," John said, his eyes soft "I didn't mean for you to see her leaving."

"And did you mean for me to find her skanky underwear in your bed?!" Chase's voice was rising of it's own accord "Because even if you had managed to get Nicole out of here without me seeing her, I was still going to find those," she pointed at the bra and panties which were still lying on the floor "Because the last time I checked, you don't lift a finger around here. I'm the one who does everything!"

"Woah, wait a minute," John held his hand up, shaking his head at her "I'm hardly ever here and like you said, I pay you to clean this house."

"And if you didn't have me? What would you do then? Would everything just go to shit because you can't be fucking bothered to change a bed or pick up your dirty washing? You pay me to clean, John. I don't have slave stamped on my forehead!"

"Just hold it there, Chase," John snapped "I pay you to clean this house and I let you live here for free. I do that because we're friends. But I don't expect a third degree from you when I have someone around to my house," he reiterated the fact that he owned the house.

"And I respect that. It's not like I bring any guys around here and rub your face in the fact that I'm fucking someone. What we do when we're away from each other is none of the other one's business. But me having to find some tramps knickers in your bed is just one step too far."

"Damn right you don't bring guys around here!" John clenched his fists, totally disregarding everything else Chase had said.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Chase reacted angrily, her voice becoming shriller.

"It means that you're only a guest here, Chase, don't forget that. I let you live here. You don't get involved in my personal life, you don't get to ask questions, you don't get to take liberties and you sure as hell don't get to bring any guys around here! I pay you to clean!" John couldn't help the words that were spilling out of his mouth.

"That's fine," Chase replied quietly "You know what, John? Go fuck yourself!"

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

Chase still remembered the day that she'd walked out of John's house, telling him to shove his job up his ass. On one hand, it was her biggest regret to date. But on the other, she felt that she was well shot of him. She didn't need him complicating her life and messing everything up for her. Without him in the picture, everything was ticking along just fine. She didn't need him. She really didn't. If only she could really convince herself of that.

Without him, she was in desperate need of money. Grace's care needed to be paid for and she couldn't sleep on Haley's couch for long. Her only option was taking the job that Carolyn offered her at Sparkle. The job itself wasn't that bad and if it paid for her grandmother's care then that was all that mattered. Now all Chase had to do was get John Cena out of her mind, once and for all.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

_**A/N2:**_ I hope you guys liked it. Please let me know what you thought! And so so sorry for the wait! XxX


	9. Me, Myself and I

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **xXParieceXx**, **ThatGirl54**, **AngelMarie1226**, **Suicide-Blonde13**, **LegacyChick**, **A Fan**, **Nat-Nat 360**, **Imarie**, **1222mercedes1222** and **wolviegurl **for reviewing the last chapter. Enjoy XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own all OC's. I don't own anything affiliated with the WWE and I do not maintain to have the knowledge of any of the Wrestler's personal lives. Anything used in this story is for a fictional purpose and not meant to offend anyone. Thanks!

_**CHAPTER NINE**_

"Any friend of Chase's is a friend of mine."

It was what Grace Hartigan - Chase's grandmother - had told him after he'd introduced himself to her again. John remembered the day that he'd met Grace for the first time and the old woman, who had looked frail then, looked far more close to death's door now. Her age-weathered skin was almost translucent and very cold to the touch. It had been difficult for John to get access to Grace for he was neither friend nor family. After a painstaking amount of patience and waiting, he had finally been allowed some time to visit with Grace.

John sat in a chair by the window which faced directly onto Grace's own chair. He perched his elbows on the edges of the chair, his hands steepled in front of his face as he listened to Grace tell stories of when she was younger and of times during the wars she had lived through. He was rather enjoying the relaxed atmosphere inside the care home and listening to the tales of Grace's childhood when it was cut short by Chase's arrival.

The blue-eyed woman entered the room, a smile forming on the edge of her lips. It faded shortly when her gaze found John, resting in the other high-backed chair in her grandmother's room.

"What are you doing here, John?" Chase asked, shock in her voice. "How did you get in here?"

"Now, now, Chase. I brought you up to have better manners than that," Grace warned her granddaughter. She was appalled at Chase's bitter tone towards the young man who had come to spend some time with her. "Come here and sit down," Grace added.

Chase let out a deep breath, angry at both Grace and John - more so at the latter because he was using Grace's condition as a way to get around Chase telling him to go fuck himself and storming out of his house. Trying to hold onto as much of her dignity as possible, Chase took a seat on the edge of Grace's bed, folding her ankles one under the other.

"Chase," John started, leaning forward in his seat. "I just wanted to speak to you. I think that we both..."

"I don't really care what you think, John. You and I both know that it would be better if you leave now," she stared him down. "I'd really like to spend some time with my grandmother and then I have to get to work."

"You've got another job?" John asked curiously. "Where?"

"With a friend," Chase answered vaguely. "I'd like you to leave now," her eyes flicked to the door and then back to John. The WWE superstar scraped his teeth over his bottom lip, nodding a few times as he stood up.

"I'll go if that's what you want," he turned to Grace. "It was good to see you again," he smiled sweetly at her and Grace beamed back at him, the wrinkles puckering around her lips as she smiled at him. John stepped towards Chase, looking down at her from his 6 ft 1" height. The caramel haired girl tried to avoid eye-contact with him but she eventually looked at him when he started to speak. "I'm sorry about what I said. I had no right. I hope you're happier now," he told her before taking his leave from the room, closing the door behind him.

"Chase! What a lovely young man and you treat him with such disdain!" Grace admonished her. She shook her small head topped with tufts of white hair at her granddaughter. Chase stood from the bed, slowly walking over to the window. Her eyes clocked John leaving the nursing home and crossing the parking lot to his muscle truck on the other side. The young woman cursed herself up and down. He had had the guts to apologize to her and she had just sat there and stared at him as if she were better than him. What had possessed her to treat him with such disrespect? The least she could have done was said she was sorry as well for the things she had said because let's face it, she had had no right either. The stupid things she had uttered that day still haunted her, even three months on. But her pride had gotten in the way and stopped her from being the bigger person.

Turning back to her grandmother, Chase smiled sweetly at her. "How are you today anyway?" Chase inquired.

"Oh, Chase. I didn't realize you had come in already, sweetheart," Grace's face brightened up as she looked at Chase.

Chase could feel tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. Grace was getting worse with each passing day. Chase knew she would have to face facts that her grandmother didn't have long left.

* * *

><p>Business was booming in Sparkle. The bar was the busiest Chase had ever seen it as she mixed drink after drink behind the bar that night. The music blared out of the sound system installed inside, keeping the punters happy. Several customers thrust notes towards her, yelling orders at her over the top of the music. Lou was just as busy as her, standing half way down the bar from her. The heat inside was almost overwhelming and Chase could feel herself becoming slightly faint. Fanning her hand in front of her face for a few brief seconds, she grabbed some money out of someone's hand and got back to work, ringing their order up.<p>

It seemed as if it wasn't letting up that night. Customers continued to flow in, looking for somewhere to drink and dance and listen to music to take their minds of their humdrum day-to-day lives. Chase breathed a sigh of relief when Danielle and Kristen arrived to take over the bar which freed up Chase and Lou to get up on it and dance - the job which they were hired for more than anything.

Fixing the waistband of her leather pants, Chase scrambled onto the bar with ease and stood tall as Carolyn cranked up the music. Lou stood at one end of the bar and Chase at the other, their movements mimicking each other as they performed a dance that they had both choreographed. Moving their hips in time with the beats, both girls raised their arms above their heads, drawing wolf-whistles and cat-calls from the crowd. Sidling along the bar, Chase dropped down to her knees and whipped up a shot which had just been poured for a male customer, knocking it back and covering the burn it caused with a smirk and a wink sent to the customer before she slammed the glass back down.

Standing back up, she turned to go back to the other side of the bar but the customer's hand slid against her high heel clad foot, stroking her skin with a touch that sent chills up Chase's spine for all of the wrong reasons. She turned to glare down at him and his lecherous smile gave her the creeps as he gently stroked higher, his fingers curling around her leather bound calf. Chase kicked her foot out at him, trying to bat his hand away with her shoe but he only held on tighter.

"Let me go," she told him. "You know there's no touching involved," she glared down at him. His other hand began to wander towards her but someone shoved his hand off of her and the man stumbled back towards his friends. Her glared at the other customer and Chase turned to look, her eyes widening at John. How the hell had he found her?

He glanced up to her and without allowing Chase time to protest, he wrapped his strong arms around her calves, pulling her towards him, forcing her to drape across his shoulder. Chase yelled at him, batting her palms down against his back as he pushed his way through the crowd and towards the door. John ducked through the doorway to the outside of the bar to avoid Chase hitting her head on the beams and finally placed the struggling young woman down when they were out in the fresh air. Chase righted herself, tossing a few errant caramel curls back from her eyes, reaching forward to push John in the chest.

"Are you fucking crazy?" she hissed. "What the hell was that?"

"I think I should be asking you the same thing, Chase," John narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you doing in the place like this?"

"It's just a bar," she told him, furious with him for his actions. "You make it sound like some seedy strip club. I was just dancing."

"That wasn't just dancing!" John threw his hands in the air. "You were crawling all over that bar. Is this how you're paying for Grace's care now?"

Chase was silent, her anger seeping out of her with every deep breath she took.

"What would you have had me do, John? The care that my grandmother needs is expensive. I have to take care of her."

"You could have come to me. I told you that if you ever needed anything that you were to come to me!" he stressed, shaking his head at her and pacing back and forth on the decking outside of the bar.

"How could I have come to you? After what I said to you. After storming out like that," Chase shook her head. "No, this was my only option. Grace is the most important thing in my life and I don't want to lose her. I need to take care of her."

"And what about you? Who's taking care of you? Because if you keep working in a place like this, it's only a matter of time before something bad happens to you, Chase. And I might not be there like I was tonight."

Chase sighed. "What is it that you want from me?"

"I don't want anything," John replied with questioning eyes.

"You must want something. You went to see Grace just so you could speak to me and then you tracked me down here and practically man-handled me out of there. What do you want?"

"I want you to be happy," John told her simply. "I don't want you to worry about Grace. I want to know that you're okay."

"Why? Why do I even matter to you?" Chase stepped out further onto the deck, reveling in the fresh air she was getting. The inside of the bar was definitely too warm and she needed some time to come up with an excuse to explain what had happened inside.

"Because you're important to me, Chase," John told her, stepping closer to her on the deck. "You know that we've become close since you started working for me. And I see you as more than an employee - you're my friend, a really good friend. And I just want to know that you're being taken care of."

"I am fine. I managing just fine on my own," the young dancer fobbed him off.

"If tonight was anything to go by then I don't believe you. Chase, listen to me for minute. I just..."

"I can't afford to lose this job," Chase cut him off. "It's all that's between Grace and the street. I need this money."

"If you listen to me," John told her again. "I can help you. I want to help you."

"What? You want to offer me my job back," Chase smiled at him. "Thanks but no thanks, John. I'm not going back to cleaning your house. It's not a good environment for either of us to work in and you know that," she replied, referring to what had happened between them that day.

"I'm not offering you your job back," John told her. "I want you to come on the road with me. I'd like to hire you to help me out. I want to give you the opportunity of seeing the world and being able to look after Grace too. I'll pay you well, you know that."

"It isn't about the money," Chase told him after a few moments of deliberating his offer. "I can't leave Grace. She's the only family I've got left. And I...I just can't leave her."

"I know that she means a lot to you, Chase. But she's not going to remember you for much longer. Her memory is gone and soon she won't know who you are. Can you deal with that? Can you deal with her not remembering your face? Lashing out at you because you're a stranger?"

"I can't leave her," Chase told him adamantly. "I won't leave her."

"Okay," John told her. "Just think about what I said. I'm flying out to LA tomorrow morning with U.S Airways. If you decide to come then be at the airport around 10am," John reached out to touch Chase's arm softly before walking off of the deck and heading straight for his car. He turned back at the last minute, calling to her. "Tell Grace I said goodbye."

Chase's bottom lip wobbled as he said those words and she could feel tears burning in her eyes. An unpleasant shiver washed over her and she wrapped her arms around herself as John got into his car.

"Chase?" a quiet voice said from behind her and the young woman turned to look at Lou, who had popped her head around the door of the bar. Her face was solemn and her eyes downcast towards the ground.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Martine, Chase. Something's happened."

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	10. Something To Regret

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **Nat-Nat 360**, **LegacyChick**, **ThatGirl54**, **Imarie**, **Athena MacG**, **LiesForTheLiars**, **AngelMarie1226**, **wolviegurl** for leaving reviews. Enjoy XxX

_**CHAPTER TEN**_

"Keep 'em coming," Chase beckoned the barmaid to pour her another helping of rum and coke. It had been 2 weeks since Grace had died and Chase still hadn't been able to dull the throb of pain that emanated inside of her chest every time she thought about her grandmother. Grace had left a ginormous hole in her life and now the young woman was looking for any way possible to fill in the heartache that she was feeling.

Knocking back a mouthful of the alcohol in her glass, she winced, sucking in a breath of air as she swallowed. Her vision had already become quite blearly but she had no where near had her fill yet.

Another face passed in front of her eyes and Chase tipped her head back to see Carolyn standing behind the bar, a sympthetic pout on her lips.

"Chase, sweetie-" she began but Chase waved her hand, finishing off what was in her glass.

"I-I'm fine, Carolyn," she groaned at the older woman. "All I need i-is more alcohol."

"I think you've had enough alcohol," Carolyn raised an eyebrow at Chase.

"I think you're wrong," Chase giggled drunkenly, pointing at the other woman. "I'm not causin' trouble am I? Am I?!" she raised her voice as she swayed on the stool she was sitting on. "No, I d-didn't think so," she shook her head at the bar owner. "I'm pu-puting money in...to your till. Wha' have you got t-to worry abou'?" Chase's words were becoming increasingly slurred as she continued to speak. She banged her fist down on the wooden bar, demanding to be given more drink.

Carolyn sighed, casting her eyes around the bar and thanking whoever was up there that the place was practically empty.

"Chase," a timid voice came from behind Carolyn and the caramel haired girl looked up to see Lou standing there. "I think you should go home and get some sleep, chicken. This isn't good for you."

"A-and how would you," Chase pointed drunkenly at her best friend. "Know what's go-good for me," she grabbed the glass which had since been refilled with rum and coke and lifted it, stumbling off the stool. "None of y-you know what itsh like. I," she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. "I've got nobody. I'm alone. And none of you know what's like," she staggered back, righting herself in the 4 inch heels she wore. She was grieving and whilst she was drunk, everything she said was true. Nobody knew what it was like to be her. She had lost so many people and now she truly was alone.

"Chase?" the young woman whipped around, her long hair flipping through the air, her head overcome with an extreme bout of dizziness. Coming face-to-face with John Cena was more than her drunken mind could process and she felt an overwhelming headache come on almost instantly. Her temples throbbed, her throat burned from the alcohol, the shoes she wore bit into her toes and her heart ached with the loss she had suffered.

"O-oh, itsh you," she stammered, glaring blearily at him. "Look everybody," she glanced around the bar, her arms open wide. "It's Jo-John Cena!" she laughed, turning back to him. "Come to s-save the day again have you? Come to offer me my job back so that I'll k-keep you com-pany. So t-that I'll be your little cleaning lady again?" she giggled at him. "Well too bad," Chase lifted her drink to her lips and took a rather large glug of it. "I d-don't wanna anymore. I-I don't need you!"

"How much has she had to drink?" John walked past Chase and approached the bar, laying his forearms on the wooden surface.

"Not enough!" Chase yelled from behind him, spinning around on her heels. John looked over his shoulder to glare at the young dancer, his eyes narrowing at the state she had gotten herself into. He was only back in Florida for the night - a layover on his way up to New York - and he'd come to Sparkle on the off-chance that Chase would tell him why she hadn't shown up at the airport that day. But he'd walked through the doors to find her flat out drunk and in the midst of what seemed like a speech she was going to regret.

Chase stumbled over towards John and Carolyn who were now immersed in an in-depth conversation by the bar.

"Wh-what are we talkin' 'bout?" a drunken smile formed on Chase's lips. "Tell me!" she whined, leaning her head closer to John.

Carolyn nodded at John and they stopped talking before he took some money out of his pocket and handed the thick wad of notes to the bar owner, effectively covering Chase's bar bill. Turning to the young woman in question, he cocked an eyebrow at her inebriated state to which she just smiled and tipped her glass back to finish it off. John shook his head at her and in one motion, he'd swept her up into his arms and was heading for the door. Naturally, Chase kicked and screamed to be let down, her heels stabbing him in the side at one point as he maneuvered his way out of the bar.

"Lemme go, you asshole!" Chase yelled at him. "Get your paws off of me!"

John marched across the parking lot with Chase in his arms and as the feisty little thing settled down, she leaned closer to him and inhaled his scent.

"Y-you smell g-good," Chase hiccuped and threw her arms around John's neck. He managed to open the passenger door to his truck, depositing a calmer Chase inside and shut the door with a loud bang, jolting Chase from her drunken stupor. The young woman leaned against the window as John climbed into the driver's side, her head pressing against the cool glass.

"A-are we goin' home?" Chase asked quietly before she slumped against the window, passed out.

John let out a deep breath, his eyes closing, his fingers gripping the steering wheel. His head spun with all of the thoughts racing around in it. He needed to get Chase back to his place so she could sleep off her intoxication but his head buzzed with the thought of waking her up to find out what had caused her to get into such a state. He wanted answers but he knew he was best getting them when she was sober. He'd never seen her like this, never imagined she would even think about getting like this. So whatever had happened had to be bad. He just hoped she would answer his questions in the morning.

* * *

><p>Arriving back at his house, the street was in darkness. Streetlamps sparsely lit the grassy areas around the houses but the majority of his neighbours were tucked up in their beds asleep. With his heavy travelling schedule, John had yet to get to know most of his neighbours which was a good thing in this case. He opened the passenger door to the car and Chase practically slumped into his arms, sleepily snaking her own thinner arms around his neck. She snuggled into him, her face buried into his neck, her warm breaths blowing against his fleshly throat. Carrying her into the house, John headed upstairs, tucking Chase into the bed of the guest room she had slept in when she stayed there. He removed her shoes and placed them on the floor next to the bed, sitting down on top of the comforter next to her. Laying his head in his hands, the WWE superstar sighed and shook his head.<p>

"I-I'm sorry," the timid voice came from behind him. John looked over his shoulder, seeing Chase's blue eyes shining up at him. "You k-keep havin' to come and bail me out."

John smiled a tiny smile at her. "I care about you, Chase. I'm your friend. It's what friends do," he reached out to gently touch her hand. The young woman allowed him to do it for a few brief seconds before she recoiled and tucked herself into the comforter. "What happened?"

"Grace died," Chase said before she passed out again.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	11. When You Take A Chance

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **ThatGirl54**, **Nat-Nat 360**, **AngelMarie1226**, **xmollymayx**, **LiesForTheLiars** and **1222mercedes1222** for reviewing the last chapter. Enjoy XxX

_**CHAPTER ELEVEN**_

Chase awoke to a throbbing pain coming from one side of her head. Opening her eyes to the harsh morning light that was filtering in through the curtains, the young woman winced. Her throat was dry and she felt as if there were blades sliding down the inside whenever she tried to swallow. Her hair which was spread out across the pillow like a caramel halo around her head was knotted in several different places. Chase recognised the furnishings of the room almost immediately and images from the previous night briefly flashed before her eyes. However they weren't concrete enough to give her proof on how she had gotten back to John's house.

Almost as if on cue, a burning sensation swam up the inside of Chase's throat and she hopped from the bed and made a run for the en-suite, promptly throwing up the contents of her stomach. Kneeling on the cool tiled floor was blissful for her as she felt that her face was warm and damp. Gripping the sides of the toilet bowl, Chase hauled herself up off the floor and flushed the toilet, moving to the sink to rinse her mouth out with cold water. Staring at herself in the mirror, the young dancer found that she was quite pale and her skin was clammy, there were dark shadows beneath her eyes and her face had thinned out, becoming somewhat gaunt from the lack of food she'd been eating since her Grace passed away. Just thinking of her grandmother sent a jolt of pain through Chase's chest and she let out a heavy, shaky breath.

Sweeping her hair up into a ponytail, Chase secured it with a hair tie she found by the sink - one that she must have left behind in her haste to leave John's house - and splashed her face with some cold water. She still wore the red dress from the night before and as she stepped back into the room, she noticed her nude coloured 4 inch heels were by the bed. Slipping them on, Chase staggered before regaining her balance. She was parched and tired and aching all over and she just didn't want to be in John's house anymore.

Her steps on the stairs were as quiet as she could muster, despite her heels making contact with the wooden flooring. She tiptoed down them, glancing around her as she went, her breathing heavy as her heart raced in her chest. The last thing she needed was to see John right now - not before she got over the embarrassment of the previous night. Her hand reached out to open the door and she had just curled her digits around the metal when he spoke.

"You'd leave without saying goodbye?" Chase jumped at the sound of his voice behind her. Spinning around - which proved bad for her headache - Chase looked at him pointedly.

"I think that's for the best. I shouldn't be here," her voice sounded foreign, even to her own ears.

"Why shouldn't you be here?" John raised an eyebrow at her.

"Because we hardly left things on a suitable tone," Chase sighed. "You and I aren't friends by choice, John. We were thrown into this situation and we made the best of it. You've done enough for me and I do nothing but feast on your good hospitality. This is too much."

A smile formed on his lips. "I think of you as my friend, Chase," he held up his hand as she attempted to speak. "Now come and have some breakfast. You look like you need it."

He turned on his heel and headed for the kitchen, not allowing time for Chase to protest. The young woman sighed and followed him into the kitchen. Chase noticed that John was already dressed, adorned in a pair of blue jeans that hugged his thighs nicely and a white Oxford shirt - the sleeves shoved up to expose his smooth forearms and a few buttons popped at the top around his neck. He currently had his back to Chase and she could here the delightful sizzle of the frying pan on the cooker. Gingerly taking a seat on one of the high stools, Chase folded her arms in front of her on the counter top.

"Why did you come back to Tampa?" Chase queried after studying the play of his muscles under his shirt for a few moments. John stiffened and he casually looked over his shoulder at her.

"To see you," he answered simply before turning around to face her, frying pan in his hand. He flipped what Chase now saw was pancakes onto a plate and placed the pan back on the cooker, turning the heat off. He pushed the plate in front of her and held out a silver fork. "Eat."

"I'm not hungry," Chase said, her voice breaking.

"Eat the pancakes, Chase," John told her firmly. "You're so thin. What have you been doing to yourself?" he took a seat on the stool next to her. Chase stared down at the pancakes, fork in her hand and she could feel her mouth watering at the sight of them. She was hungry, her body was rebelling against the punishment she had forced upon it but she just couldn't face putting anything in her mouth. John let out a sigh. "Tell me what happened?"

"Why?" Chase's bottom lip wobbled as she tilted her head towards him. "So you can comfort me? So you can tell me things will be alright? So you can rescue me from the life I've got and give me a better one? What is that you want from me?"

Tears formed in Chase's eyes and she blinked, trying to force them back.

John sucked in a breath, dragging the tip of his tongue along his lips. He rolled his eyes at Chase. "How many times have I got to tell you that I just want you to be happy. And clearly you're not! You're not happy because if you were happy, you wouldn't be crying right now! You wouldn't be so gaunt from lack of eating! You wouldn't be sitting in Sparkle drowning your sorrows into rum and coke!" John raised his voice at her.

"You've got no idea what it's like, John. To truly be alone in this world. So don't preach your holier-than-thou principles to me!"

Chase glared at him, her vision watery from the tears that pooled in the corners of her eyes. Standing up, her stool scooted back along the tiled floor. John reached for her, his large hand clasping her smaller one as he tugged Chase into his arms, wrapping her in his embrace.

"I'm sorry," he told her soothingly as he stroked the back of her hair, his fingers running through the ponytail. "I'm sorry that you've been through all of that. And I'm so sorry to hear about Grace." Chase struggled against his hold, trying in vain to remove herself from his arms but he held fast, binding his muscled arms tighter around her thin frame. The mention of Grace's name had all of her resolve leaving her and she relaxed, burying her face into his neck as she sobbed, tears dripping onto the flesh of John's neck and soaking into his shirt collar.

* * *

><p>"Do you want me to come inside with you?" John asked, his hands gripping the steering wheel of his truck. He cast his curious gaze upon Chase who was too busy looking at Sparkle to answer him immediately. Her head turned towards him, her blue eyes meeting his.<p>

"I'll be okay," her voice was hoarse from the all the crying. "This is something I have to do on my own."

John nodded once. "I'll be out here waiting on you."

Chase pulled the handle on the door and slipped out of the truck, walking across the gravel strewn and slightly muddy parking lot outside of Sparkle. Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach as she rehearsed in her head what she was about to say. She licked her lips and took a shaky breath before pushing the door to Sparkle open.

It was deserted, something that Chase knew was typical for before 6 pm. It was also something she had hoped for considering what she had to say was best said in private. Approaching that bar where Chase could see that Lou was wiping down the wooden surface, she cleared her throat, causing the other girl to look up at her. A frown marred Lou's face before it softened slightly as Chase's apologetic expression.

"Chase," Lou acknowledged her friend.

"Hi," Chase said back, sheepishly. "Have you got time to talk?"

"Not really. I am run off my feet, as you can see," Lou retorted rather sarcastically. "What's up?"

"Well, I-I just wanted to come by and apologise for what I said last night. And for the way I behaved. It was well out of line. And I should never have taken my anger out on you or Carolyn."

"No, you shouldn't have," Lou tightened her lips ever so slightly, one hand gripping the washcloth on the counter. "I guess though, that I can understand that you were upset. But you should have just spoke to me and Haley. We would have understood, Chase."

"You can't understand, Lou," Chase shook her head. "I don't want to say things that hurt you or Haley but that much is true. You don't know what it's like to be truly alone. Grace was all I had left. And now she's gone too."

"I know that," Lou put the cloth down and sighed. "I know how much you loved her. We all loved her, Chase. And we won't ever forget her. But you can't bury your head in the sand and ignore her death. It happened and you need to move on and deal with it. Haley and I don't want to see you hurting. We want you to be able to talk to us and we'll be there for you when you need us."

"I know. You're always there for me when I need you. You're my best friends," Chase said with a tone of despair. Lou crumbled and moved around the bar and taking Chase into her arms, the two girls hugged each other.

"I'm so sorry, Chase," Lou told her friend.

"No, I'm sorry. I should never have done what I did," she told Lou as she pulled back. "Is Carolyn here?"

Lou nodded and disappeared off to fetch her boss. Chase moved closer to the bar, her eyes surveying the minimal amount of customers that they had. There were a few tucked away in corners and one man sat at the end of the bar, drowning his sorrows in a glass of Jack Daniels. It hit home to Chase at that point. Was that what she had looked like last night? Glaring bleary eyed into a tumbler of alcohol, praying and wishing to some non-existent deity that all of her hurt would go away.

Carolyn emerged from the back of the bar a few moments later, Lou following in her wake. The owner sidled up to the bar, her eyes locking with Chase's.

"I just wanted to come by and say that I am really sorry about my behaviour. You didn't deserve it and you shouldn't have had to put up with it."

"Chase," Carolyn sighed. "I know that you're still hurting from your grandmother's death. I can understand where you're pain is coming from. My parents died when I was young too. And it's not an easy thing to cope with. But the pain will ebb and it will get easier, trust me," Carolyn laid her hand upon Chase's.

"Thank you," Chase said sincerely, wiping a loose tear from under her eye. "I also wanted to come and say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Lou's voice rose several octaves but Carolyn only raised an eyebrow, her humorous smile on her lips.

"Yes," Chase laughed a little. "I'm going with John. I can't stay here, Lou. There are too many bad memories."

"You're going with John?" Lou asked again. "Like, going _with_ him? Or just going with him?"

"We're just friends," Chase laughed again, a watery smile on her face. "He offered me a job before Grace died and the offer is still there. It's a fresh start for me. New people, new opportunities. And you and Haley can come out and join us on the road at some point. And I'll be back."

Chase watched as Lou's eyes teared up, the prospect of her best friend running off to tour the world, really striking a chord deep within her.

"I'm going to miss you so much!" she said vehemently, moving around the bar to hug her friend once more. The two young girls rocked back and forth for a few moments and they shared a goodbye hug, tears leaking from both of their eyes. "You better keep in touch."

"You know that I will," Chase said, receiving a hug from Carolyn as well. "I've already said goodbye to Haley. We went over to her place to get my things and I sort of interrupted her with her new flavour," Chase grinned wryly.

"Typical Haley," Lou rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>Chase opened the door to the truck and hoisted herself up inside of it, slamming the door shut behind her. John, who was reading an edition of 'Muscle and Fitness', looked across to her, throwing the issue onto the back seat.<p>

"Everything okay?"

"Yes," Chase felt her lower lip wobble again. "It's just bittersweet. Saying goodbye and all."

"It will be. It's not easy, Chase, trust me. I hate living so far apart from my family but I love what I do. And I'll do anything to continue working," John reached over to take her hand, smoothing his thumb across the back of it. "You'll be okay. This will be good for you."

"I hope so."

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

_**A/N2:**_ And that's the end guys. Thanks for reading this and sticking with...just kidding ;). This is actually just the beginning of Chase and John's story. I hope you continue to read along and let me know what you think. XxX


	12. When The Chips Are Down

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **ThatGirl54**, **Nat-Nat 360**, **ANP87**, **AngelMarie1226**, **smash07**, **xmollymayx**, **LiesForTheLiars**, **wolviegurl** and **1222mercedes1222 **for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are seriously amazing! Over 100 reviews now. I love you all so much! :D XxX

_**CHAPTER TWELVE**_

Chase sat in a makeshift office within The Staples Center in Los Angeles. Her mind was racing - what exactly did Vince McMahon want to say to her? The boss of the company had requested a private meeting with the young dancer and now she sat there all on her own, without John's reassuring face for help. Sinking her teeth into the soft skin of her thumb nail, Chase nervously nibbled there, jumping significantly as the door opened behind her.

Vince McMahon crossed the office space that he had allocated himself upon their arrival in L.A, his head buried in scripts for the following week's shows. He had noted the tension that was present within Chase Chalmers' shoulders and he had seen the fear shoot physically through her as he'd entered the room. A small smile turned the corners of his lips upward as he took a seat, loosening the three buttons on the front of his tailored suit jacket.

"Miss Chalmers, thank you for agreeing to meet with me today," Vince spoke, aiming to sound as professional as possible. It was clear this young girl was terrified and rightly so. She was entering a professional environment that she was entirely unfamiliar with and so she would be on edge. However, despite this, Vince was keen to put her at ease, thus the reason for the meeting.

"I-I'm not sure that I had much choice, Mr McMahon," she spoke, her voice almost mouse-like.

Vince chuckled slightly. "Everybody has a choice, Chase. May I call you Chase?" the young woman nodded. "You made a choice to take a job as John Cena's new PA. Therefore, you are here by choice," he smiled warmly. "All I asked you here for was to discuss your role and get you to sign your contract. You can breathe now, it is okay."

Chase let out a huge sigh and a smile formed on her lips.

"I guess I was panicking a little bit. I've not quite found my feet yet."

"I am sure in time everything will come naturally to you. Now, let's talk about that contract."

* * *

><p>Chase left the office feeling slightly more upbeat. She started off down the corridors, quite happy now that she had her contract signed and a copy in her hand and Vince had made her feel so much more at ease. He'd obviously instilled his trust in her and maintained that he had no qualms about firing her should she step out of line or should things not work out. But he also insisted that he looked forward to her working with the company and hoped that she would be a good fit as a PA for one his biggest talents.<p>

Heading for the canteen, Chase intended on picking up some bottles of water before heading back to the locker room that John shared with Phil 'CM Punk' Brooks, Bryan 'Daniel Bryan' Danielson and Ryan 'Ryback' Reeves. It had been slightly daunting meeting the other wrestlers but thankfully that had all put her at ease - most likely having had a stern warning from John - but Chase definitely felt comfortable around all of them.

The canteen wasn't all that busy when Chase entered it. There were a few of the divas gathered around a table near the servery and a few superstars in the far corner, snacking before the show. Chase picked up the bottles of water and lined up to pay for it, taking a few bills out of her jean pocket.

The faint sound of whispering beginning behind her reached Chase's ears and she bit her lip, forcing herself to ignore it.

"Hey! You!" a soft voice with a Spanish lilt spoke from behind her. Chase looked over her shoulder, gathering the bottles of water in her arms.

"Me?" she asked and the woman with long dark wavy hair nodded.

"Yes," she said, standing from the table and approaching Chase, circling her like a vulture. "You are John Cena's new "PA" huh?" she asked, holding a hand up when Chase attempted to answer. "You're his new flavour," she said as she came face-to-face with Chase once more, glaring down at the young dancer.

"I-I think that you've got the wrong-"

"The wrong idea?" the Spanish beauty raised her eyebrows. "Oh no, I don't sweetie. It's clear to see that he only brought you along for a quick fix when he's on the road. He'll be in your panties before you know it," she spat at Chase, a smirk forming on her pouted lips.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Chase pushed past the diva, her cheeks flaming and headed for the door, leaving to a heavy round of laughter from behind her. Just as she was leaving, Chase collided with someone outside the canteen and she looked up to see another diva there. "I suppose you'd like to accuse me of something too? Well, take your best shot," the words were out before Chase could stop herself.

"I'm sorry?" the woman looked confused.

"You all think I'm some sort of slut who came on the road with John Cena just to screw him. Isn't that right?" Chase gripped the water tightly.

"Oh so you're Chase," the woman smiled. "I'm Eve," she stuck her hand out to Chase before realising that Chase wouldn't be able to shake her hand. "And I don't think you're some sort of slut. Why would you think that?"

"Because some girls in the canteen said that to me. They made it clear what everyone is saying about me."

Eve shook her head. "I can assure you, Chase, that not everyone thinks that," Eve told her as she popped her head into the canteen, her eyes falling on Milena 'Rosa Mendes' Roucka, Sarona 'Tamina Snuka' Reiher and Živilė 'Aksana' Raudonienė sitting giggling at a table. Stepping back out, Eve looked to Chase, sympathy evident in her eyes. "Milena always thinks she knows everything, Chase. Don't let her fool you. She's nothing but a backstabbing bitch."

Chase chewed on her lower lip, thinking about what Eve said. "I just don't want people thinking I'm some kind of coat-tail riding whore. Because I'm not! I'm just looking for a fresh start and that's what John gave me."

"I believe you," Eve laughed. "C'mon, we'll head back to John's locker room. He should know what happened."

"No!" Chase shook her head. "I can handle things myself. I don't need him to fight my battles. That really will be right up their tree if I let him go over there and jump down their throats."

"Alright," Eve agreed with her as they started off down the corridor. "So when do you officially start?"

"Monday," Chase told her. "I hope everything goes well. I just need to figure out what to wear. I've never had a corporate job before."

"Perfect. We'll go shopping tomorrow," Eve beamed as they approached John's locker room. "Anyway, I've got to run. I need to warm up before my match. It was really nice to meet you, Chase," Eve leaned forward and the two shared a makeshift hug around the bottles of water in Chase's arms.

"But, Eve-" the woman was already off down the corridor before Chase could finish her sentence.

* * *

><p>Chase woke early the following morning, keen to get in a good workout in the hotel gym before she went shopping with Eve. Her stomach gave a lurch just at the thought of shopping. The young woman had no money so how she was going to shop was beyond her. After a hot shower, Chase dressed and then blow dried her hair into messy waves. Pulling her unkempt locks back into a loose bun, the young woman looked at herself in the mirror. She could still see her cheek bones - prominent in her face since losing weight after Grace's death - her face was quite pale despite being exposed to the sun and her eyes had lost some of their vitality. Chase was trying to regain the weight she had lost, more so at John's insistence as he watched just about everything she did and made sure she ate well. It was sweet, really, the way he looked after her and it warmed Chase's insides to know that she had a friend who would go to the lengths that John went to for her.<p>

"Morning!" Chase smiled at John as she entered the sitting area of the double room they shared due to John's insistence.

"You're up early," John replied from the sofa where he had sat down to put on his sneakers.

"I know. I was down in the gym for a bit," Chase told him as she poured some water from the tap. "Eve is taking me shopping," she added.

"Why don't you seem happy about that? I thought you girls all loved to shop."

"Yeah, well, maybe not all the time," Chase finished her glass of water and put the glass up to dry on the sink, turning her back on John.

"Chase? What's wrong?" she heard him stand up and approach her, his hand coming to rest on the back of her shoulder.

"Nothing," Chase forced some false happiness into her voice. "I'm fine."

"You're not fooling me, Chase. What's the matter?"

Chase hung her head, feeling shame creep up on her. The last thing she wanted to do was have to ask John for money. She had already taken enough from him.

"I have no money to go shopping," Chase finally confessed after a few moments of deliberating with herself. John stood next to her for a few moments, his hand still on the back of her shoulder, the warmth seeping through the thin top that she wore. Her thoughts were moving quickly, jumping from one extreme to the next. Suddenly the warmth left her shoulder and John left her side. Chase heard him rummaging behind her and swiveled around, her hands gripping the counter. "What are you doing?"

The WWE Superstar stood upright, turning around to face Chase again. He held his hand out, a silver glint coming from his palm. It took a few moments for Chase to realise what it was and she started to protest, shaking her head.

"Take it, Chase. I owe you wages."

Chase's mouth formed an 'O' shape and she continued to shake her head, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "How do you owe me wages?"

"From when you stormed out the house," John chuckled. "I still owe you the rest of the money for that month," he walked closer to her, wrapping his fingers around Chase's thin wrist. Lifting her arm, John placed the platinum credit card in her flat palm. "Take the card, Chase. There's no limit on it. Go out with Eve and have a good time. You deserve it."

"I can't take it. I can't pay you back."

John laughed at her, shaking his head as he flashed his pearly whites at her. "I'm not asking you to pay me back. I'm giving you the money. It's yours. Now," John was interrupted by a knock on the door. "That will be Eve. So go and have a good time. I'm going to go and work out," he patted Chase's shoulder and then stalked to the door, opening it to reveal a beaming Eve joined by another two girls at the other side. One was quite small and very slim and lithe. She had tanned skin and long dark brown hair. And the other was a little bit taller and slightly more muscly. Her long hair was a mixture of blonde and brown. "Ladies," John smiled. "Show her a good time," he grinned at them and waved at Chase before leaving the room.

"Ready?" Eve smiled at Chase.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	13. First Impressions

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **Nat-Nat 360**, **xmollymayx**, **smash07**, **1222mercedes1222**, **wolviegurl**, **AngelMarie1226** and **ThatGirl54** for reviewing the last chapter. I'd just like to say that I know you all want John and Chase to get together but that isn't going to happen for quite some time. But please stick with the story and enjoy XxX.

_**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**_

Chase bent her knees, watching the fabric of the black skirt she wore stretching around her with every movement. The high-waisted material formed around her dance-toned hips and sheathed her shapely legs down to just below her knees. Chase had paired it with a pewter hued silk button-down blouse trimmed with black and black t-bar open-toed shoes with a 4 inch heel. She felt uncomfortable to say the least but she knew that what she wore was ideal attire for her new role as John's PA. She was eager to make an impression on both John and the surrounding employees of the WWE. With a final look in the mirror, Chase was ready to go, picking up her black leather hobo bag and leaving the hotel bedroom she currently occupied.

John was standing with his back to her as she entered the sitting room, his head bent over the paper which was spread out on the counter of the small kitchenette. He turned his head to look across his shoulder, a small smile forming on his lips. He faltered slightly when he noticed Chase's appearance but his smile then returned ten-fold.

"You look...different," he told her, struggling to find the right word to describe her.

"Is that a bad thing?" Chase suddenly felt insecure under John's scrutinizing eye.

"No. No, it's not a bad thing," his hands came up at once to reassure her. "You look perfect. And very, very professional."

Chase felt her cheeks warm with the idea that she looked perfect. "Thank you," she replied, tucking a loose strand of caramel hair behind her ear. Gripping the straps of her bag, Chase grinned at John." Are you ready? I've got your schedule here and I'd really like it if we were on time for everything today. You know, first impressions and all."

"Straight to business, I like that," John nodded. "Where to first?"

"Well," Chase replied, taking out her brand new leather bound organizer. "You've got a signing at 9.30 am and then a press conference at 12 pm for Make-A-Wish and then you've got some free time for lunch, if you like. I've arranged for a suit to be in the car for the press conference - you can change at the venue," Chase took notes in her planner as she announced their plans for the morning through to the afternoon. "Afterwards, there's some time for you to go the gym and then we need to head to arena to get you fitted for some new attire. Sound okay, so far?"

"Sounds like a typical day in my life," John joked. "Are you going to be okay though? It'll be a long day for you, traipsing about after me."

"I'll be fine," Chase grinned. "I've been through worse. This is what I signed up for so let's get to work."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, the two had been bundled into the car and were on their way to Barnes and Noble at The Grove for the signing. Chase spent most of the car ride typing on the Blackberry that Vince McMahon had bestowed her with during their little chat. She had an extra copy of John's itinerary stored on the phone in the off chance that she should lose the paper one in her organizer. They arrived at Barnes and Noble slightly behind schedule because of a heavy bout of traffic and as they exited the car, Chase enjoyed the warm LA sunshine shining down upon her. It warmed the back of her shoulders through the thin silk of her blouse and she smiled as she slipped some Ray Bans onto her face, shielding her blue eyes from the bright light.<p>

"We're a little late," Chase commented as they made their way inside the back entrance of the store, escorted by two members of staff along with two burly security guards who had been hired to watch over things during the signing.

"It's fine, Chase," John told her, rubbing his hands up and down on his thighs before he placed his warm had on her shoulder again, much like he had the day before. Chase felt the heat from his body flood through her and she smiled, removing her sunglasses and looking up into his face.

"I just don't want to-" Chase was cut off as John shook his head at her, smoothing his hand back and forth as they stepped inside.

"Don't panic. Deep breaths, you're doing just fine," he chuckled. "If I didn't think you were capable of this then I would never have asked you."

"I know," Chase breathed out. "It's just," she gripped the Blackberry in her damp hand. "I'm going to be really honest here," she said and John nodded. "This isn't my thing. I don't do corporate stuff, I'm not an organised person, John. I'm a dancer - that's what I'm passionate about - and it's amazing to see how much you love your job and I really don't want to let you down but I'm just feeling, maybe, slightly out of my depth here."

"I know. But please, don't feel that way. You're doing great, honestly," he reached for Chase's free hand and gripped it with his own. "Stop worrying so much," John winked at her and then let her go, walking ahead as security escorted him into a small back room which had been laid out with refreshments for himself and Stu 'Wade Barrett' Bennett - the other superstar who would be signing autographs with him.

Chase breathed out a sigh of relief, closing her eyes briefly as she composed herself before following John through to the back room. The door was closed behind them and Chase immediately buried her head into the Blackberry when a text message came through. It was a small amendment that had to be made to John's schedule for the next day and the young woman was quick to enter it into both the Blackberry and her written schedule. She glanced up when she heard John say her name and found that she was staring directly at the chest of Stu Bennett. Looking up, Chase smiled at the slightly older Englishman, who then proceeded to introduce himself.

"I'm Stu. It's nice to meet you," he reached out to take her hand. "And this is my assistant, Lola."

"It's nice to meet you too," Chase nodded at him, shaking his hand. His assistant - a young woman not much younger than Chase approached them and smiled at her. She had an Italian look with lovely olive skin and long raven waves of hair - half of which was pulled back and secured with a clip - and large round brown eyes.

Chase and Lola struck up a conversation, the two moving into a corner away from John and Stu, coffees in their hands as Chase listened to Lola tell her what it was like to work alongside the superstars and travel the country.

It wasn't long until John and Stu were escorted through to the front of the store where the tables for the signing were set up. Chase and Lola followed closely behind them, standing off to the sides of both superstars, keeping an eye on the time. The signing went well - just another routine part of John Cena's life. However, for Chase, she was able to see him at work, interacting with his fans and she found herself beaming from ear-to-ear for most of the hour and a half she spent watching him.

"What are you grinning about?" John asked as he and Chase made their way back to the car. Upon realising that her face was still contorted into a Cheshire grin, Chase started to laugh, shaking her head.

"Nothing," she told him. "It doesn't matter. C'mon we've got about half an hour to get to Century Park," the driver was already holding the door open for them. Chase slipped inside first and John followed, allowing the driver to close the door behind him. "I've got a couple of things to do later so do you want to head to the gym first and then you can grab some lunch? Or do you want to get food first? I'll just meet back up with you at the hotel and then we'll head to the Staples Center."

"Nope. You need to eat too. We'll get lunch together after I've worked out."

"But I've got-"

"No buts. I'm not going to change my mind on this one, Chase. I won't have you wasting away in front of my eyes again."

Silence overtook the car after John made his voice heard and Chase decided that arguing with him was pointless. She knew he was only looking after her at the end of the day.

* * *

><p>After the press conference, John spent some time with the people who worked with and volunteered for Make-A-Wish, working around the room, shaking hands and sharing smiles and funny anecdotes. The foundation was something that Chase could really relate to and something she held close to her heart. And to see John using his celebrity to help such a heartfelt cause was truly something special. As they made their way back to the hotel, John shared some stories about wishes he had granted with Chase. The young dancer listened intently to him, feeling tears brimming in the corners of her eyes quite a few times as he related his experiences to her.<p>

They arrived back at the hotel and John got out of the car, holding the door open for Chase. She stepped out, wincing slightly as her feet ached from being in the heels - something she wasn't entirely used to.

"Hey, Cena!" both Chase and John looked around as a platinum haired man approached them. His hair was loose around his head and formed soft curls. He wore a grey t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans which hugged his thighs nicely, a pair of grey converse and a black suit jacket over his t-shirt. He bumped fists with John and the two struck up a conversation for several minutes before his eyes fell to Chase. "Hey there, I'm Nick," he told her, thrusting his hand in her direction, a cocky smirk pulling at his lips.

Chase smiled a small smile at him. "Hello," she said softly before looking to John. "Come and get me when you're done," he nodded at her and then Chase set off up the stairs, not looking back as both John and Nick watched her go.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	14. Beneath Your Beautiful

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **Nat-Nat 360**, **wolviegurl**, **AngelMarie1226**, **xmollymayx** and **LiesForTheLiars** for reviewing. XxX

_**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**_

The canteen in the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City was deserted - something that Chase was extremely grateful for. It had been 4 weeks since the dancer had started traveling with John as his PA and so far she was just getting a handle on the schedule. Her hours of sleep had diminished considerably as they moved from city to city - sometimes flying halfway across the U.S for the next show.

Currently Chase was scribbling out rough drafts of John's schedule for the next three weeks. She still had to speak to the WWE Superstar about his plans for Christmas - a little under four weeks away - and find out whether he was heading back to Florida or to West Newbury like she expected him to. Chase herself, was still unsure about where she was headed. Part of her wanted to go back to Land O' Lakes and spend time with Lou and Haley but she knew deep down that her friends would be spending their holidays with their families and Chase really did not want to be a spare part, tagging along to familial celebrations.

The sound of a chair scraping next to her as somebody pulled it out from under the table drew Chase's attention away from her thoughts. She glanced up, watching curiously as Nick 'Dolph Ziggler' Nemeth dropped into the seat next to her.

"Hey," he smiled at her, as if speaking to her was the most natural thing in the world. "How are things?"

"Hello," Chase replied, a curious smile pulling at her lips. "Pretty good, I think. I'm just making rough drafts of John's schedules. How are you?" Chase asked purely for politeness as she twirled a pen around in her fingers.

"Not too bad," he shrugged. "I can't complain. So, you're probably wondering why I'm sitting here right now."

"That thought did happen to cross my mind," Chase's lips turned up at the corners. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked.

"Pizza," Nick told her.

"Excuse me? I can help you with pizza," Chase started to laugh.

"Yes. Go out for pizza with me," Nick told her.

As soon as the words were out of Nick's mouth, Chase started to shake her head. "No I-I don't think that that is a good idea. You don't even know me," she protested.

"Perfect. I get the chance to get to know you. And," he added, standing up. "I wasn't really asking. So, I'll pick you up after the show," Nick told her before strolling out of the canteen, leaving Chase staring after him, scrabbling for something to say.

* * *

><p>Chase spent the majority of the show hauled up in the canteen going through John's schedules. She copied the information into her Blackberry, making sure to save any important appointments that he had. She made her way to John's locker room just shy of his match, four energy drinks in her hands. Knocking on the door, she heard Ryan call for her to come in.<p>

"Lady on the floor!" Chase called out, her eyes closed. "I hope you're all decent," there was a lilt of humour in her voice.

"In your dreams, sweetheart," Phil's playful voice was the next to be heard.

"I swear to God, Punk, if you're naked again, I'm going to kick your ass. That shit is something I don't want to see," Chase snapped teasingly, referring to an incident that had had happened two weeks previously.

"I'm hurt by that, angel," sarcasm was dripping from his voice. Chase opened her eyes, slowly, one after the other and then smiled when she found all four men sitting comfortably on the benches inside the locker room.

"Well, now that that's sorted, here you go," she said, throwing each one of them an energy drink. Making her way over to take a seat next to John, Chase pulled out her notepad. "So, I've done your schedules for the next three weeks. It's going to be pretty full on leading up to Christmas - which I did want to speak to you about as well."

"What about it?" John turned his head towards her, knocking back the energy drink in one go before crushing the can in his hand.

"Where are you going?" Chase clarified, glancing around to the other three men in the room. She knew they were listening to her conversation but so as not to offend her, they all looked away and struck up a conversation between themselves the moment she looked at them. "I assumed you were going back to West Newbury but I just wanted to make sure."

"Well, I usually do head back and spend some time with my family. I guess that's where I'll spending most of the holidays this year," John told Chase. She pressed her lips together into a thin line, understanding that he meant that because he and Liz were divorcing that he really had no one else to spend Christmas with.

"Okay," Chase nodded along with him. "I just need to know really, in case I have to contact you for any reason. Anyway, I'll let you get ready for your match. I trust that you will kick your opponent's ass."

"Hey!" Punk barked from the bench. "That's a bit unfair, dollface. You know he's in the ring with me."

"That's why I said it," Chase backed up, winking playfully at Phil before backing out of the room to a round of raucous laughter coming from John, Bryan and Ryan. Closing the door behind her, Chase turned around and smacked directly into Nick's chest.

"Hey, I was just coming to get you," he bestowed her with a dazzling grin.

"Hi," she replied, slightly nervous as she tucked a lock of her caramel hair behind her ear.

"Are you finished? Or do you need to wait for John for something?" Nick asked, placing his hand against her upper arm. Chase sunk her teeth into her lower lip, trying to think of a way that she could let him down gently. To tell him that she didn't really want to go on a date. But the more she thought about it, the more she realised that it wouldn't be that bad to get to know someone else. John hadn't really thought about her when he'd brought home his ring rat who had caused the massive argument between them. And let's face it, pinning all her hopes on her tiny crush on John Cena turning into something more was futile. Keeping things professional between herself and John would be far better in the long run for them. They were friends - really good friends - and things were better kept that way.

"No," Chase smiled sweetly at Nick. "I'm ready to go," she gripped the straps of her black leather hobo bag in her hands as Nick grinned, pressing his hand to her lower back to escort her out of the arena.

* * *

><p>A little over a quarter of an hour later, Nick shimmied back into the booth that they were sitting in at The Wedge. He had excused himself to place an order at the counter, insisting that he knew exactly what he was doing and that Chase would love what he had ordered.<p>

"So," Nick started, curling his hands around his water glass. "Tell me a little bit more about you? How did you start working with John?"

Chase found her lips turning up as she sat back and got more comfortable in the booth. "It's a bit of a long story," she shrugged, taking a drink of water.

"I'm all ears. I'd really like to know," Nick sat back, turning his body towards Chase and bracing his arm along the back of the booth.

"Well, in truth, I'm not actually a PA," she chuckled nervously. "I'm a dancer. It's what I always wanted to do since I was a little girl. But there weren't many jobs out there that paid what I needed to earn. So when I saw that Liz was looking for a housekeeper, I applied and she hired me on the spot. She's not exactly the nicest person huh?"

"Liz hired you?" Nick's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "No, she's a bit of bitch."

Grinning at him, Chase agreed with a nod. "And well, John walked in on me cleaning his pool. Needless to say, things didn't go well at first but he agreed to keep me on. And he paid me really well for what I was doing. At that time, I was caring for Grace; my sick grandmother, and I really needed the cash to look after her."

"I'm assuming from the way you're speaking that she died?"

"Yes. She passed away a few months ago," Chase replied with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry," Nick told her. "It's not easy when people pass away, especially family members."

"No, it's not. So, you know, I went a little bit off the rails when Grace died and it was John who saved me. We'd had a rather large argument and he came back to Florida to see if I was alright. And he found me, drunk and spewing a load of crap at my friends in anger," Chase found her cheeks tinting in embarrassment. "So, he offered me the job and I took it. I just wanted a change of scenery and a fresh start."

"Sounds like you've been through quite a bit."

"Probably the majority being my own fault. Looking back, there are plenty of things that I'd like to change but what's done is done. I can only try and make amends for the things I've said or done."

"That's all anybody can do," Nick replied, taking another sip of his water. "You can't expect things to always go the way you want them. All you can do is make the most of what you've been given."

"Well, that is rather philosophical of you, Mr Nemeth," Chase commented wryly. "So, tell me about you?"

"Well," Nick grinned. "I'm not actually a natural blonde," he told her, lightening the mood.

* * *

><p>Chase and Nick sat in The Wedge for more than 2 and a half hours, time slipping away as they enjoyed each other's company and if truth be told, the most amazing pizza that Chase had ever tasted - not that she'd let Nick know that off of her own back.<p>

Once the two of them had realised the time, Nick settled the check but not without protests from Chase, to which he shot down in flames. The flaxen haired superstar led Chase back out to his rental car and drove the two of them back to their hotel.

"So, how did you manage to get yourself out of that one?" Chase asked Nick as they walked along towards her hotel room. He'd been telling her a story from his early days in wrestling.

"That's an answer for next time," he replied as they reached her door.

"That's a little bit presumptuous of you," Chase laughed.

"I've always been a little bit sure of myself," he shrugged. "Besides you cannot deny that that was the best pizza you've ever had."

"Okay, you got me there. It was amazing," Chase said, raving about the pizza. "So maybe we can go out again. It's been good to get to know someone who doesn't think I'm a whore."

"What?!" Nick's voice rose, his lips pressing into a frown.

"Oh, I had a run in with Milena. She thinks I'm only on the road with John to screw him. Alas, I'm a whore," Chase shrugged with nonchalance. "As long as I know the truth, that's all that matters."

"Well, for your information, I don't think you're a whore. I happen to think you're sweet, funny, down to earth and rather beautiful. And I am really happy that you agreed to get that pizza."

"I'm happy that I agreed too. Thank you for taking me. I had a wonderful time," Chase pushed herself onto her tiptoes to press a soft kiss against Nick's cheek. "You're a very sweet, lovely guy, Nick," she added as she pulled back. "Goodnight."

Chase turned around to open her door, wedging it with her foot.

"Goodnight, Chase," Nick reached across to flick back a lock of her hair and then disappeared down the hall with a small wave of his hand as Chase looked after him, a rather happy smile on her face.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	15. Hard To Breathe

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **Nat-Nat 360**, **ThatGirl54**, **AngelMarie1226** and **xmollymayx** for leaving reviews. XxX

_**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**_

Chase padded through the hotel room with a rather large smile on her face. She'd slept like a baby through the night and felt rather rejuvenated. She was still thinking about how sweet Nick had been the night before. The way he had been with her had been a factor in how much she'd opened up to him - something she rarely done until she got to know a person quite well. But after last night, she felt like she had known Nick for a long time.

"Where did you disappear to last night?" Chase looked over her shoulder to see John stepping through the front door. He had his gym gear on and his face was slightly red making her think he had ran up the stairs to their room. "I tried calling your cell. I was worried," he closed the door behind him, his face fraught with worry.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she smiled serenely at him. "Nick took me out for pizza and we lost track of time. My cell must have died," she shrugged, rifling through the mini-bar for a bottle of water.

"You were out with Nick last night? Since when were you two, you know?" John raised his eyebrows at her.

"No, I don't know," Chase frowned. "Since when were Nick and I what?"

"Dating?" John rubbed a hand across the back of his neck nervously. "I didn't know that you two had a thing going on? You barely know each other."

"We're don't have a thing," Chase told him slowly. "Can't two friends just have pizza together? You're starting to sound like everybody else, John. We're friends. And we have dinner together. That doesn't mean that we're together," Chase pointed between herself and John.

"I know that. I just-"

"You just what? Look, we might be friends, you might have done a lot for me, more than anyone has ever done in fact. But that doesn't give you the right to interfere in my personal life. I'm sorry that I didn't let you know where I was going last night, it was pretty stupid of me. But I am a grown woman and I know how to take care of myself."

John held his hands up. "Okay, just calm down. I'm sorry. You're right, I had no right to try and interfere in your life. I shot you down in flames when you tried the same with me. I was just worried about you."

"Don't be," Chase sighed, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly guilty for having snapped. "If I've got any problems, you'll be the first to know," Chase lied, knowing she still hadn't told him about her run-in with Milena.

"That's good to know," John nodded at her.

"Right, I'm going down to the gym to work out with Punk. I'll grab a shower when I get back and we'll get going. Are your things packed?"

"Yes ma'am," John saluted her in a mocking fashion causing Chase to roll her eyes. "I know the drill, Chase."

* * *

><p>Chase thrust her fist forward, propelling it through the air until it made a hard crunch with the leather pad that was wrapped around Punk's hand.<p>

"Again!" he demanded, holding his other hand up. "C'mon! Hit the pad harder."

"I'm trying," Chase protested, her chest rising and falling quickly with exertion, her thoughts on what had happened with John no more than 30 minutes ago.

Punk raised an eyebrow at her, the corners of his lips pulling into a smirk. "Try harder. You're capable of far-" the man was left wincing when Chase pounded her fist against the leather, indicating that she wanted him to shut up. They continued to train with each other, Punk really putting Chase through her paces. While there was no doubt that Chase was used to working out - dancing really did keep her at an optimum level of fitness - she was enjoying Punk showing her other ways to get a healthy balance in her life without continuously relying on her dancing.

"So are you going back to Chicago for Christmas?" Chase asked Punk as they finished up, returning their gloves and pads to the storage cupboard.

"Mm, yeah, I normally spend it with family and friends. My mom always cooks the most amazing dinner. And my friends usually have their kids around. It's just an excuse to act like a big kid myself," he smiled at her. "What are you doing for crimmus?"

"Crimmus?" Chase questioned, a funny smile on her lips.

"Yeah, what's wrong with crimmus?" the pitch of Punk's voice rose slightly, fake horror etched on his face.

"Nothing," Chase shook her head. "I don't know what I'm doing. I'd like to go back home but there's really nothing there for me. And I don't want to be a spare wheel while all my friends are with their families."

"What about John-boy? Aren't you off with him?"

"Ummm..no. I don't think so. I'm sure you heard him say he was going back to West Newbury. Even if he were to ask me to tag along, again I'd feel like a spare wheel."

Chase turned away from him, making a beeline for the mirrors in the gym. A wooden beam ran the length of said mirrors, giving Chase the perfect platform to stretch her muscles. Lifting her leg up, Chase balanced her foot against the beam, leaning the full length of her upper body against the length of her leg.

"Sounds like you're saying you'll be spending crimmus alone, angelface," Punk mused from behind her as he watched her stretch. He was amazed by her flexibility but it wasn't something he was going to say outright. "That's not good. Listen, I don't mind you tagging along to Chi-Town with me. I promise you won't feel like a spare part. Besides, I think Amy might like having another girl there. She'd like you."

Chase watched Punk through the mirror, determining quickly that he was being deadly serious. He folded his arms across his chest, holding her gaze through the reflective glass.

"You're serious?" Chase grinned at him when he nodded. "It's a sweet offer but-"

"Just say you'll think about," Punk held his hand up as he cut her speech off. "That is, if you don't find other plans," Chase nodded at him. "Bear in mind, I will be devastated should you choose someone else over me," the WWE superstar wiped a fake tear from under his eye a little over dramatically, forcing Chase into a fit of giggles.

* * *

><p>Chase stepped away from the counter of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, beginning a brisk walk across the concourse she was currently waiting in at Will Rogers World Airport. She, John and the rest of the Raw crew were about an hour away from boarding a flight to Washington DC for the next bout of shows - and a coffee was exactly the thing that Chase needed. Cupping her hands around the foam cup, the heat siphoned through, forming a cocoon around her fingers. Chase smiled as she took a sip of the white chocolate dream latte. As she approached the seating area which the crew had taken up residence at, Chase's phone began to vibrate in her pocket. Fishing it out, the young dancer slid her thumb across the screen when Haley's name showed up on screen.<p>

"Hi!" Chase beamed, grinning when she heard both Haley and Lou hollering her name down the line. Her laugh bubbled out of her throat and she took a seat further away from the crew while she was on her phone. John was in her eye line, immersed in a conversation with Kofi and Daniel and she could just make out Nick headed towards the crew from the other direction. "I guess I'm on speaker phone," she laughed. "How have you guys been?"

"We're good," Lou told her. "We've both been missing you like crazy, chicken. We can't wait to see you. You are coming back for Christmas right?"

"Ummm, well, I don't really know about that," she replied unsure.

"Chase," Haley was next to speak. "You can't stay away forever. You need to come back at some point."

"I know that. And I will," Chase sighed. "I just don't want to be a spare wheel."

"How will you be a spare wheel?" Lou asked, confusion in her words.

"Well, you'll all be with your families and Haley you'll be with, well, are you still with Paul was it?"

"Yes, actually!" Chase could practically hear Haley's smile from the other side of the phone. "We've been seeing a lot more of each other. I really like this guy, Chase."

"She's in love," Lou dropped in, making a mock heaving sound. "It's sweet, really."

Chase giggled. She could hear Haley hitting Lou on the arm from the other side of the phone before the two girls sighed wistfully.

"You won't be surplus," Haley told Chase firmly. "You know you've always been like family to us, Chase. You're more like our sister than our friend. And you're always welcome at any of our houses."

"I know that. I just-" she faltered slightly. "You both have your families. And that's amazing, don't get me wrong. But they're your families. Not mine. And I don't want to be stepping on anyone's toes. That's just how I feel. But we'll see. Maybe I'll drop in depending on my schedule," she added, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Speaking of your schedule," Lou spoke with a hint of humour in her voice. "How is the lovely John Cena?"

"He's good," Chase shook her head even though her friends couldn't see her. She subconsciously played with the scarf around her neck as she watched John laughing at something Kofi had said. "His schedule is really busy but I'm getting to grips with it. And you both know what I mean before you make any cheeky comments!"

"Us? Would we ever?!" Haley giggled and Lou joined in. Chase really felt how much she missed her friends in that moment. While it was great being on the road and meeting new people, she was always going to miss Lou and Haley - the three of them had been inseparable since before she could remember.

"The truth is. I have met someone," Chase confessed, her eyes falling to Nick who was had taken a seat a few rows away from her, sitting down next to Punk, Stu and Stephen 'Sheamus' Farrelly.

"Ooooohhhhh!" her friends practically squealed from the other side of the phone. "What's his name? What is he like?" Lou rhymed off questions.

"What's he packing?" Haley added, a girlish squeal leaving her lips.

"Haley!" Chase cried out but had a smile on her face. "You'll never change will you?"

"You love me just like I am," Haley replied. "But all jokes aside, we're happy for you, babe. Tell us about him."

"His name is Nick," Chase lowered her voice in case anyone could hear her. "He's really kind and sweet and lovely. And he just makes me feel very comfortable with him. I really like him."

"What about John?" Haley asked. "I always thought you and he had some chemistry."

"Don't be so silly. John and I will never be anything more than friends," Chase looked towards her friend, one-time boss and now colleague. "We're better the way we are. There's no use pinning all my hopes on a relationship that would be doomed to die before it had even started. I like John, he's the perfect guy. But maybe he's just not perfect for me."

"Are you sure about that?" Lou wanted to make sure her friend was positive about what she was saying. "Don't be discouraged, chicken. I'm happy that you've found someone else. I just want you to be happy. And you seemed happy with John."

"Maybe," Chase shrugged and moved her eyes towards Nick, focusing on his blonde hair. He had left it loose around his head today, wanting to be more casual for travelling. "But I like Nick too," Chase confessed, her breath catching in her throat.

The man in question looked up just as Chase had spoken, a smile forming on his lips as he pushed himself out of his seat to approach her.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	16. Eye To Eye

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **1222mercedes1222**, **Nat-Nat 360**, **LiesForTheLiars**, **AngelMarie1226**, **ThatGirl54**, **xmollymayx **and **wolviegurl** for leaving reviews. Enjoy XxX.

_**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**_

It had been a very long day.

A woeful sigh left Chase's parted lips as soon as she stepped into the hotel room. It was deserted surprisingly and she immediately fished her Blackberry out to see if John had left her a message. A slight disappointment shot through her when there was nothing from him but she didn't stop to dwell upon it. Toeing her black high heels off, Chase immediately felt the pinching in her toes start to alleviate After throwing her handbag onto the sofa, she walked into the bathroom and turned the taps on, dumping copious amounts of bubble bath into the tub, watching as plumes of steam started to fill the room. She was looking forward to a long soak in a hot, bubbly bath.

After stripping her clothes off, Chase sunk into the depths of the tub, feeling the aches start to leave her body as the blissfully hot water surrounded her. Her mind wandered to the meeting that she had just left and she started going through John's schedule in her head once more, using her fingers to add up the amount of new details she had to add once she left the tub. She had been stuck in round-the-clock meetings with other PA's all day, trying to make arrangements for the shows directly following both Christmas and New Year. With the majority of the PA's heading home to their own families the following day, it was imperative that everybody had the right schedule down in order to be organised for after the holidays.

Tipping her head back, Chase let the water dampen the ends of her long hair. The bubbles floating lightly over her flesh that was immersed in the water tickled her. A sudden blast of sound rushed through the room as Chase's Blackberry started to ring and she scrabbled up, leaning over the edge of the tub in order to reach the handset. Her wet fingers came into contact with it, spreading foam across the screen as she picked it up and hit the answer button.

"Hello?" she sat back, sending a wave of water sloshing over the top of the bath and onto the floor. Cursing silently, she sat forward to assess the damage, noticing that the water had been soaked up by the pencil skirt she had been wearing that day.

"Did I interrupt something?" Nick asked from down the line. "You sound out of breath."

"No," Chase giggled. "Not at all," she found herself smiling like a maniac as she sat back against the tub. "I'm just in the bath."

Nick groaned from the other end of the phone. Chase telling him she was in the bath was doing awful things for his mind. He'd been trying to tell himself for weeks that he just liked her as a friend but that really wasn't true. He was interested in her but he just didn't know how to break the news. He could only hope that she felt the same way.

"Well," he dragged the word out, forcing himself to skip over the fact that Chase was naked in the tub. "I was just calling to make sure you were all set for tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night?" Chase questioned before realising what he meant. "Oh yeah. Yes. I'm ready. I'll pack my things in the morning and bring my suitcase to the arena with me. I just hope you're family don't think I'm hijacking their plans for Christmas," Chase replied, stretching one of her legs up into the air before bringing it down back under the water.

"Don't be silly. My family are going to love you," Nick told her vehemently. "Truth be told, I was a little surprised that you agreed to come with me."

"You were?" Chase flushed. "Why?"

"I just thought you'd say no. I was going out on a limb asking you. I don't like the idea of someone, of you, being alone on Christmas. But I thought you'd knock my offer back seeing as you did say you don't want to be a spare part."

"I know. If I'm being honest, I'm not sure what made me say yes. But I like the fact that I did."

"I like the fact that you did as well," she could practically hear him smiling down the line. "So, I've got a match as you know. But I'll be ready to go right afterwards," Chase felt herself nodding along with him. "Have you told John yet?"

"Told him what?" she found herself too busy thinking about what their plans for Christmas would bring to be truly listening to what Nick was saying.

"That you're coming with me?" Nick asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, no I've not," Chase replied a little sheepishly. "I'm just not sure how he'll take it. I know that it's really no concern of his where I go but I still don't want to jeopardise the relationship we have, Nick. You've surely got to understand that?"

"I do understand. But look at it this way, how is he going to feel if he finds out you lied to him?"

Chase sunk her teeth into her lower lip, feeling that the water in her bath had suddenly gotten too cold for her liking. "I don't know. I'm not intending on lying, I just might bend the truth a little bit."

"It's the same thing, Chase. Look, I'm not trying to force you to do anything. But in my honest opinion, if you value that friendship, then just tell him. Why would he be upset? There's no reason for him to be pissed is there?"

"No, I guess not," Chase mused. "Not that I know of anyway. And you're right, why should I lie, there's no reason for it. I'll tell him when I see him. And I'll see you tomorrow night."

"You sure will. See you then," Nick told her and hung up, leaving Chase to drop her phone down onto the floor once more, leaning back into the considerably cool water with a pensive look on her face.

* * *

><p>Chase placed the folded swathe of material into suitcase - promising herself that it was well and truly the last item that she was taking with her. She had been on a mini shopping spree, wanting to have some nice things she could wear whilst spending Christmas with Nick and his family. Her small suitcase was now slightly on the heavy side but considering she was having to carry everything she had with her on the road, she could let herself off slightly. Zipping up the case, Chase clicked on the padlock just as she heard the door to the hotel room open.<p>

"John?" she called out. "Is that you?" she heaved her suitcase off of the bed and carried it through to the sitting room, her soft white cashmere cascading cardigan floating out behind her. Her black stiletto boot made contact with the thick carpet of the sitting room as she entered it and she wobbled very slightly, smiling when she did indeed see that it was John who was walking through the door. "Have you been out all night?"

"Umm, yeah, I crashed in Kofi's room," he shrugged, his eyes quite downcast.

"Oh okay," Chase's perky attitude continued and she didn't dwell on John's less-than-enthusiastic response. "Well, that's all my things packed and I'm ready to go to the arena whenever you are. I've got a couple things to run by you concerning your schedule and...are you even listening to me?" Chase chuckled as the WWE superstar sunk down onto the sofa, his elbows planted on his knees.

"Yes, keep talking," he told her and Chase, not convinced that he was alright, made her way around to the other side of the sofa, looking down on him.

"Are you okay? You seem to be distracted," she asked worriedly.

John looked up at her, his normally twinkling blue eyes were dull and practically lifeless. He looked exhausted now that she thought about it.

"I'm fine, Chase," he grinned, seeming to brighten up a little. "What were you saying?" he seemed to be giving her his full attention now.

"I just wanted to go over your post-Christmas schedule with you. You still haven't told me where you're going for Christmas. I'm assuming you have arranged a way to get to Charleston?"

"Mm, yeah, my flight gets me there about 6 on Wednesday night. I'm going to just head right to the gym and then the hotel. I'll need to work off all that extra food," he patted his stomach in a joking manner, still not directly answering Chase about where he was going for Christmas. The younger dancer decided not to push her luck. The older superstar had told her he'd probably spend the time with his family and if that's all he was choosing to tell her, then Chase would accept that as his answer.

"I've booked a flight into Charleston which will get there about eight thirty at night. So, I'll probably just catch up with you at the hotel," Chase vaguely skipped over her plans for getting to their next destination after Christmas. "On Thursday morning you've got a meet-and-greet and then in the afternoon you'll be granting a wish."

"Who for?"

"A young girl named Kimberly. She's 6 years old and sh-she's got terminal neuroblastoma."

John was silent. Chase could tell he was deeply affected by what she had just told him. It's not a secret that bad things happen in the world but when you hear about a poor child who is going to die and there's nothing you can do about it, it can move even grown men to tears.

"Okay," John replied after a few moments, nodding slowly.

"A-and then you've got a match at the house show against Nick," Chase continued a little shakily, feeling more than affected by John's reaction to the wish granting. It had to be a difficult thing to do and she sympathised with him. He wanted so badly to give these kids and sometimes even teenagers a special moment before they passed away. He wanted to brighten their last few moments, do anything that would give them a final happy memory. And it had to be hard, so very very hard to do. It had to be tough to go through something like that, to smile and act like everything was alright, to forsake the sinking feeling in your gut to allow a dying child to have those last few dignified and truly happy minutes in their short life.

"Okay," John said again, seemingly still in his little reverie.

"We can talk about the rest later," she told him softly, closing the leather bound organizer with a dull thud. Looking nervously around the room, Chase worried her lower lip, feeling nervous about the way John was acting. He hadn't been himself since he came into the room and now he was acting so out-of-character. "You look like you need time by yourself so I'm going to go and grab a coffee and you can have a shower and well, take your time and do whatever you need to do. I'll be downstairs when you're ready," Chase made her way around the sofa, picking up her suitcase as she did so. She slung on her black faux-leather satchel with her purse, passport and other essential items inside and headed for the door.

"Chase?" John called faintly from behind her. The young woman stopped and turned to look at him. He had now turned in her direction on the sofa, his blue eyes meeting hers with such intensity that it almost knocked the breath out of Chase. He opened and closed his mouth several times before speaking. "Where are you going for Christmas?" he settled on, letting a full breath out of his lungs, his shoulders drooping.

Chase licked her lips and let out the tiniest of breaths. "I'm going to Ohio with Nick," she responded, turning the handle on the door to open it. She left John with a parting nod and continued on out of the door.

_END OF CHAPTER_


	17. Joyeux Noel

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **smash07**, **Nat-Nat 360**, **xmollymayx**, **1222mercedes1222**, **ThatGirl54**, **AngelMarie1226**, **LiesForTheLiars** and **wolviegurl** for leaving reviews. Enjoy XxX

_**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**_

"Are you sure that they won't hate me?" Chase asked for about the thousandth time. Turning his head, Nick stared at the younger woman, raising one mocking eyebrow at her. When Chase refused to back down from the question, Nick let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head slightly as he turned his eyes back to the road, careful of minding the other traffic on the road.

"Chase," he sighed. "They are not going to hate you, trust me. I don't know how many times I have to tell you this. What's making you feel so insecure?" he held the steering wheel with both hands.

Chase shrugged. "I don't really know," Chase glanced out of the passenger side window of the moving car. "Well, I suppose, it's because I'm gate crashing your Christmas. You spend this time every year with your family and here I am, jumping on the bandwagon. I just-"

"Exactly!" Nick cut in. "I spend this time every year with my family. I'm quite sure that they won't be upset that I brought a guest this one time. Besides, you're a chick. My mom will love that I brought a girl home," he added, flashing his trademark smirk, his chest puffing out with pride.

Chase couldn't help but laugh at Nick's antics, reaching over to gently give his hand - which was wrapped around the gear-shift - a soft squeeze. Truthfully, Nick's reply filled Chase with a warmth she hadn't felt for a while. He gave her those delightful little flutters that formed in the pit of her belly, filling her with an intense happiness. She continued to smile like the cat that got the cream, turning her eyes back to the road as Nick drove them to his chilhood home.

Chase slipped out of the car after Nick had parked up outside of his childhood home. The young woman looked up at the house, tugging her soft black faux-leather jacket around her to keep out the cool breeze that blew around her. It was a beautiful wooden structure with 3 levels and large bay windows - perfect for letting in the sunshine during the day and for gazing at the stars at night. As soon as they had pulled up, the front door was opened and woman had made her way down the steps. As Chase spent a few moments looking at the house, she brought her eyes to Nick, who was now embracing the woman that Chase assumed to be his mother. With a head of thick chocolate curls and blue eyes, Chase found herself imagining Nick with brown hair. A smile crossed her lips and then she nervously made her way towards the mother and son duo.

"Hi," Chase beamed at the woman who was now separating herself from her son.

"Hey there," she grinned, reaching out to hug Chase who was slightly taken aback at first. "You must be Chase," Nick's mother ran her fingers through the ends of Chase's hair, a warm, watery smile formed on her mouth. "I'm Colette, Nick's mom. He's told me all about you," she wrapped an arm around Chase's shoulders and began to usher her into their home. "We're all very happy to have you with us for Christmas, Chase."

Chase again felt her insides warm at Colette's words. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Nick watching the two of them go inside, a smile of his own on his face. He swiveled on his heel and headed for the car to retrieve their two bags before locking up and jogging up to the house.

Once inside the house, Chase was introduced to Nick's dad Phillip and his younger brother Ryan - who she found out also wrestles in the developmental territory as Briley Pierce. Colette had made a lunch and insisted that everybody sit down to eat, despite protests from Chase and Nick that they were exhausted after travelling. As they sat down they said grace, something Chase wasn't accustomed too and then a loud and lovely chatter surrounded the table as they ate.

After they had eaten, Colette showed Nick and Chase upstairs - where to both their surprise and horror she showed them both to Nick's old room, insisting that everything was sorted as Phillip had now pushed the spare double bed into the room so they would have more space to sleep. When she left them to settle in, Chase took one look at Nick and then burst into laughter, giggles rocking through her body until she held her sides. The Ohio native found himself also laughing along with the younger PA.

Chase wandered into the room and sat on the bed, testing out the mattress as she watched Nick carry his bag in and place it down on the floor.

"This is quite comfy," Chase remarked as she lay back. "Come and lie down."

"It's okay, I'm fine," Nick told her, waving his hand.

"Oh come on!" Chase protested, pushing herself up off the bed and reaching out to him. She grabbed his hand and hauled him towards the bed, where he promptly collapsed back against the comforter, staring up at the swirls carved into the ceiling. Chase's head had landed on his arm and she re-positioned herself to get comfortable. Nick pulled her closer gently, testing her reaction and he breathed a physical sigh of relief when Chase popped her head down on his chest, leaning closer into him against his side. He bent his head and pressed a kiss to the top of her forehead, his eyes closing over as the lack of sleep finally won him over.

* * *

><p>Christmas came quick for Chase as she found herself really enjoying her time in the Nemeth household. She spent time getting to know Nick a lot better - from hearing stories about his childhood to just talking with him or watching a movie - the more time she spent with him, the more she really liked him.<p>

"I hope you don't mind that we open presents quite early, Chase," Ryan remarked with a childish grin on his face.

"I don't mind at all. I don't normally have such a lively Christmas," Chase admitted, a downcast look on her face before she plastered a smile on her lips. The family were all sitting in front of the Christmas tree, balls of ripped wrapping paper surrounding them as each person marveled over their gifts. Chase sat with her legs cross 'indian style' on the floor, clothed in a pair of fleecy pajamas and a string top, her eyes alight with humour, happiness flowing through her as she truly enjoyed every moment of the day.

Nick cleared his throat suddenly, drawing Chase out of the thoughts.

"I wanted to save this one till last. It's a special gift so I hope that you like it, Chase," he turned his eyes towards her. Chase's mouth dropped open in shock, unable to believe that Nick had bought her a present. He passed her a small box - light azure blue in colour with a creamy white ribbon tied around it. Chase knew the colours and felt another wave of shock go through her. Her eyes teared up as she held the box in her hands, unsure about opening it. "Go on," Nick encouraged her, a big grin on his lips.

Chase pulled the ribbon that secured the box tight and allowed it to fall into her lap. She glanced around at the four other sets of eyes, seeing that three of them were eager to know what was inside and one was eager to know what she thought of what was inside. Lifting the lid off the box, Chase let out a gasp, reaching up to cover her mouth with her hand. Nestled on layers of tissue paper was a stunning silver charm bracelet. Two charms were hooked onto the chain - one was a small square with a letter C embossed on it and a tiny red stone slotted near the bottom and the other was a delicate pair of pale pink ballet slippers accompanied by silver ribbons. There was a terse silence in the room as everybody awaited Chase's reaction.

She glanced up and met Nick's eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't accept it," the box fell to the floor as Chase stood up in a flurry and dashed from the room, heading right for the kitchen.

"Chase," Nick called after her feebly, his eyebrows furrowing as he watched her leave the room in a hurry. He looked around at his mom, dad and brother who were all equally as shocked by Chase's behaviour. Running a hand across the top of his head, Nick stood up, reaching down to scoop up the Tiffany's box with the bracelet inside. Heading for the kitchen and leaving his family behind, Nick gently pushed the swinging door open. "Chase?" he questioned softly when he saw her standing by the counter, a glass of water in one shaky hand.

"Go back to your family, Nick. I'm okay," Chase told him very unconvincingly as she placed the glass down. She reached up with one hand to wipe her face and Nick knew instantly that she had been crying. He approached her slowly, placing the bracelet on the counter between them as he turned to face her.

"No, you're not okay. What was that? Why did you rush out? And why have you been crying?" Nick asked, dipping his head to try and meet her eyes.

"I-I just can't accept the gift. It's way too much. You hardly even know me and you've gone and bought me a really really expensive bracelet and I don't have anything to give you and-"

"Shush," Nick pressed his finger to her quivering lips, stopping her speech as she babbled on. "I didn't ask you to buy me a gift, Chase. I don't need anything other than you being here," he smiled. "I bought you the gift because I wanted you to feel special at a time when you must feel so alone. I invited you to spend Christmas with me and my family not only because I like you but because I didn't want you to be alone. I wanted you to experience this holiday surrounded by love and laughter and I wanted you to be happy."

"But-"

"No buts," Nick insisted. "There's nothing else to say. Now," he picked up the bracelet from the box, holding the delicate silver between the fingers of his two hands. "I want you to let me put this on you and I want you to accept the gift without any worries. Okay?" he asked as he unclasped the two halves of the chain from each other. Using one hand to clasp Chase's dainty wrist, Nick wrapped the chain around it and clasped it together, securing the clip. Softly brushing his thumbs across the veins of her wrist, Nick let her arm go and Chase was amazed at the piece of jewellery surrounding her wrist.

"Merry Christmas, Chase," Nick husked, pressing one palm to the side of her head against her hair. Chase nodded as she stared at the bracelet before looking up at him. She smiled, tear tracks still staining her face before she moved closer, pressing her lips firmly against Nick's. He stood stalk still for a mere few seconds before kissing her back, pulling her closer when she parted her lips for him and teasingly pressed her tongue against his. His hands ran up her back, gripping the material of her thin strappy top in his hands as he held her against his hard body. Chase wound her arms around his neck as she stood on her tip toes to reach him, the fingers of one hand stroking rhythmically through his blonde hair.

"Merry Christmas, Nick," Chase pulled back to whisper before she kissed him again, delight filling her when he kissed her back, winding his hands in her hair to control the kiss.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	18. Someone's Bound To Get Burned

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **ThatGirl54**, **Nat-Nat 360**, **xmollymayx**, **1222mercedes1222**, **AngelMarie1226**, **LegacyChick**, **Guest** and **xXParieceXx** for leaving reviews. Y'all are making me one happy girl. Enjoy XxX

_**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**_

"You know if you don't like it, I can always take it back," the sound of Nick speaking caught Chase's attention. She turned, her eyebrows raising.

"Hmmm?" she questioned, unsure of what he was talking about.

He smirked. "The bracelet. I can take it back. You know, if you don't really like it," he pointed to the chain wrapped around Chase's wrist that the dancer turned PA was subconsciously playing with, her finger stroking the pale pink ballet slippers attached to it.

"What? Oh my god, no, Nick," Chase shook her head. "I love it. Where would you get the idea that I didn't?"

The flaxen haired superstar shrugged. "You're just always staring at it, so deep in thought. Sometimes I think you just didn't want to hurt my feelings."

Chase was vehemently shaking her head with every word that Nick spoke. "I can't believe you think that I don't want this. This is," Chase took a deep breath. "The best present I think I have ever been given. I wouldn't part with this for the world," Chase added, her hand again rhythmically playing with the charm bracelet.

Nick beamed at her, his cheeks tainting a faint pink colour as heat rose into his complexion. Chase was shocked that he thought she would hide her true feelings about the present from him. How could anyone hate something so precious? She couldn't imagine anybody telling him that they didn't want the precious piece of jewellery.

"That's good to know," Nick replied, reaching down to lace his fingers with hers.

Chase chuckled, reaching up to press a kiss to Nick's cheek. "You smell of peroxide," Chase told him as she pulled back and wrinkled her nose. Shaking her head, her lips turned down in distaste.

"Sorry, babe but that's the price of perfection," Nick told her, flashing his trademark smirk. The young woman dissolved into a fit of giggles to which Nick looked tremendously upset about before he smiled at her. Unhooking their fingers, he held Chase's chin between his thumb and forefinger, positioning her just right so that he could claim her lips in hard kiss, truly enjoying the soft sigh that came from the back of her throat.

* * *

><p>Nick and Chase flew in to Charleston on a Delta flight that had left Ohio around 4 pm. Chase had said a bittersweet goodbye to Nick's family - feeling very emotional about leaving them. She had grown accustomed to having a family around her in the short week that they had been there for Christmas and had voiced this as the reason for her being so upset. Colette had assured her she was welcome in their home any time. After they had landed in Charleston, Nick had encountered a few fans at the airport. Stopping to take pictures with them, Chase excused herself and moved off to the side, quite content with waiting for him whilst she checked her Blackberry for any important messages. He was at her side again within minutes, lacing his fingers with hers much to the delight andor dislike of the few fans who still lingered around them. They both made a quick exit from the airport and headed to the car that was already awaiting them outside, the driver heading straight for the hotel which the superstars and crew were all lodging at.

Chase checked the two of them in having booked a private room for herself this time around. It felt strange when the receptionist placed only one key for each room in her hand. Nick - who was rooming with Tyson 'T.J Wilson' Kidd didn't notice her reluctance to accept the key from the receptionist and simply took both keys from the woman's hand, smiling at her in return. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, forcing Chase to roll her eyes as the two walked away, Nick's arm securely around her waist. His hand cupped itself around her hip, holding her tightly against his side as they waited on the elevator.

"It's going to feel weird sleeping without you next to me," Nick told her as they stepped into the elevator and hit the buttons for their respective floors. She watched as he nervously rubbed a hand across the back of his neck, trying to gauge her reaction as he looked at her.

"It will be weird," Chase agreed, licking her lips. "But we need to be discreet about this. It's already bad enough that those fans probably got pictures of us at the airport. We don't need a game of Chinese whispers around the locker room."

"I hardly think we're worth some immature chit-chat, Chase. Anyway, I guess you're right," he reached out to smooth a lock of her hair. "We'll keep it between the two of us. But you'll tell John right? It'll be better coming from you," he smoothed his thumb down the side of her face.

Chase made an indistinguishable noise in the back of her throat before nodding. "Yep, I'll tell him when the time is right. Besides, I'm only his PA. We stay out of each other's private lives."

"Well, that's good then," Nick remarked, pulling her closer when the bell rang to announce that they had arrived at his floor. "This is me, babe. I'll see you at the arena tomorrow night?" his words were full of doubt.

"I'll be there. John has a busy schedule in the morning so I'll be lucky to squeeze time in for a bite to eat never mind anything else."

Nick frowned. "Your health is important, Chase. I don't want to hear that you're not taking care of yourself while you're working," he warned her as he pulled her closer to plant a kiss against her hair before backing out of the lift. He gave a wave of his hand and then he was off and the doors were shutting, leaving Chase to let out the breath she was holding.

* * *

><p>John carefully tied the laces on his sneakers, pulling them tightly enough that he felt comfortable to work out in them. He stood up, bending his knees several times in a row to loosen himself up. He eyed his watch, noticing that he had seen neither head nor tail of Chase. According to what she had told him before she went to Ohio with Nick, she had been due back around 8.30 pm last night and yet she had been a no show. He'd been hoping to catch up with her and find out how her Christmas had been as well as discuss a few things.<p>

Grabbing his key-card and wallet, John shoved them both into the pockets of his tracksuit bottoms and headed for the door, tugging it open only to be faced with Chase at the other side, her hand in mid-air and poised to knock.

"Oh," she smiled, taking a step back. His eyes raked over her from head to toe and it took all of his willpower not to gawp at her. "I was just coming to get you," she chuckled. "Are you going to the gym?"

"Uhh, I w-was heading down there, yeah," he nodded slowly, almost in a daze.

"Well, I can come back," she replied, folding one arm under her bust as she held her Blackberry in the other.

"No, it's okay. Come in. I can head to the gym anytime," he took a step back to let her inside. "I wondered where you had gotten to, anyway."

Chase stepped inside, heading for the sofa, on which she took a seat, folding one high heeled foot under the other. She placed the large cream handbag that she carried at her feet and fiddled with her Blackberry for a few seconds before placing it down on the sofa next to her. After closing the door, John sat down on the other side of the large corner sofa that was in the hotel room, stretching his legs out in front of him. There was something different about her, John had known it as soon as he'd laid eyes on her. He didn't know if it was the outfit - which currently consisted of a form-fitting white knee-length pencil skirt dressed with series of shiny studs, a cream lace top with short sleeves, the hem of which had been tucked beneath the skirt and a black double leather buckled belt secured around her waist to accentuate her curves. The black round-toe heels she wore on her feet only served to heighten the length of her legs and draw eyes to her toned curves. Or maybe it was the hair which seemed to have lost a considerable amount of length from it with the ends now resting just against her bust and had a series of highlights of several shades of blonde throughout it now. Or then again, it could be the new accessory she was wearing around her wrist, the piece of silver which drew her attention to it numerous times in the short few moments since John had let her in the door and sat down. Whatever it was, it seemed that Chase had a whole new aura about her.

Tucking her wavy hair behind her ear at one side, she smiled sweetly at him.

"How was your Christmas?" she asked, truly interested to find out what he had gotten up to.

"It's was good, yeah," he nodded, still watching her with that look of intrigue on his face.

"How are your family?" Chase asked.

John faltered slightly. "T-They're fine," he shrugged as if it was nothing. "How was your time with Nick in Ohio?" there was a slightly snide undertone to his words but Chase passed over it, not wanting to argue with him. It seemed that over the past few weeks, the two had grown distant and there was something eating away at their friendship from the inside out. And honestly, Chase just didn't know what to do about it. She didn't want to lose John but she couldn't keep putting up with his mood swings.

"It was really good," Chase smiled at him, her eyes falling to the bracelet around her wrist.

"What is it that you keep looking at?" John leaned forward so he could be closer to her.

"Oh, Nick gave me this bracelet for Christmas," she held her wrist out to him and John held her hand with one of his and gently touched the bracelet with the fingers of his other hand, one finger stroking first over the ballet slippers and then delicately over Chase's wrist. Her breath hitched very slightly and she pulled her hand back. "It's the most beautiful thing someone has ever given me."

"I can see that it's very precious to you," John stayed where he was, bracing his elbows on his knees. "So, was there something in particular you wanted to talk to me about or was it just a quick reminisce about Christmas?"

Reaching for her Blackberry, Chase was slightly taken aback by his attitude but again she didn't bite.

"We've got a busy day ahead of us so getting your workout in the gym right now would be a good idea. I've got to jump across town and pick up your clothes from the dry cleaners and then when I come back we'll grab a coffee to go and get on the road for the meet-and-greet. After that, you've got a photo shoot to head to with Gillette. They want you for their new line of products. And then you're meeting Kimberly in the afternoon before we head to the arena.

"Sounds like fun," John rolled his eyes as he stood up. Chase followed suit, placing her hands on her hips in indignation.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she snapped at him. "You've been in such a damn sarky mood for weeks and I am sick and tired of it!"

"Chase-"

"No, don't Chase me. Get your shit together, John because I really can't be bothered dealing with your mood swings. I don't know what this is about - is it something I've done? Or is this about Nick? Or did something happen when I was away at Christmas?" John attempted to speak but Chase held her hand up. "I don't really care all that much! Whatever it is, deal with it! Make sure you're feeling more chipper by the time I get back," she told him, scooping up her bag and Blackberry before stomping out of the hotel room.

Chase huffed as she shut the door, storming off down the corridor to run the errand she had mentioned.

* * *

><p>Watching from a foldaway chair on the sidelines of the photo shoot as John was turned this way and that way - all for the ideal shot of him with Gillette's new line of shaving products, Chase waited on John finishing up. He grinned and charmed his way through the whole thing and even though she was rather pissed off at him, Chase found herself smiling too. She held her Blackberry in her hand - it was becoming that she was never detached from it these days - her messenger open as she chatted back and forth with Nick.<p>

After Nick told her he was heading to the gym, Chase closed the messenger window down and quickly checked her emails and Twitter page for any new notifications. She noticed her timeline was practically buzzing with new gossip and as any other young woman, she was interested in gossip. Clicking on several links from her Twitter, she narrowed her eyes slightly when the webpage displayed a collection of pictures on it. Clearing her throat, she closed the page and placed her phone down, her eyes moving up towards the photo shoot as she watched John finish up.

Within half an hour, they were back in the car and on their way to the wish granting at MUSC Medical Center.

"Chase, I just wanted to say that I am really sorry for my behav-"

"Why didn't you tell me you were spending Christmas with Stephanie?"

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	19. The Quiet Screams The Truth

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **smash07**, **Nat-Nat 360**, **LiesForTheLiars**, **ThatGirl54**, **1222mercedes1222**, **AngelMarie1226** and **xmollymayx **for leaving reviews.

And for anyone who was confused from the last chapter, when I said 'Stephanie', I was referring to 'Stephanie Garcia' aka 'Nikki Bella'. Enjoy XxX

_**CHAPTER NINETEEN**_

John held Chase's gaze as he chewed on the inside of his top lip. His face had practically drained of the colour that had been previously present there and his mouth opened and closed as he tried to form an answer. Covering his mouth with one hand, he took off his hat, rubbing his other hand over the top of his head before he pulled the cap back down over his scalp. Bracing one elbow on his knee, John pushed his chin into his hand as he looked out of the window.

"How did you find out?" he practically whispered.

Chase pressed the tips of her fingers against her forehead and closed her eyes. "How did I find out?" she blew a breath out of her pursed lips. "That's all you're concerned about? Oh, of course, John Cena wouldn't want any negative press circulating about him right? Can't let all those loyal fans of yours down," she shook her head at him, turning away to face the window at her side.

"I don't need this right now, Chase. How did you find-"

"You don't need this? Excuse me, you don't need this?!" her voice rose with every word. "It is me who doesn't need this right now. And for your information, your lovely family get together is now plastered all over the web for the whole world to see. Not much chance of keeping it a secret now."

John sat forward, his face in his hands as he let out the biggest sigh she had ever heard, groaning into his hands. "Fuck!" he growled. "Fucking hell!" he yelled again, slamming his fist against the side of the moving vehicle.

Chase clenched her fists, jumping slightly when the driver's voice sounded over the intercom. "Is everything alright, Miss Chalmers, Mr Cena?"

Chase flicked the intercom button. "Sorry, Gerald. Everything is fine."

"Okay, Miss Chalmers. We'll be arriving at MUSC within a few minutes."

"Thanks, Gerald," Chase replied, flicking off the intercom. She let out a groan. "I don't appreciate being lied to, John. But I get it, you know. We don't get involved in each other's private lives. You're the superstar, I'm the PA. I'm here to make sure you get everything you need and you get everywhere you need to be on time. We have a professional relationship," Chase licked her lips. "But you're my friend too. And on that level, I really don't like what you did. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all, John."

"I don't get why you're so upset then. You know, if we don't take an interest in each other's personal lives then what the hell is the problem?" he asked as the car came to a stop right outside MUSC Medical Center.

Chase gathered her things up as she fought to hold back the tears. She pushed her tongue into the corner of her mouth, reaching for the handle on the door.

"I am not upset or pissed off that you spent Christmas with Stephanie and her family. I'm disappointed, John. I'm just really disappointed that you didn't think you could tell me," she told him before getting out of the car and shutting the door behind her.

* * *

><p>"Well, you don't even look sick at all," John beamed at the six year old who was sitting on his knee. He had his big arms around her and the smile she had couldn't get any bigger. They were currently posing for photographs together, taken by both Kimberly's family and the Make-A-Wish Foundation and WWE photographers. Kimberly held a book in her hands and she tipped her head back to look at John, her wide brown eyes staring up at him. The young girl had tubes and wires sticking out of her chest and arms and she wore a delicate silk multi-coloured scarf around her head, covering up her scalp - hairless from the cancer treatments she had been through.<p>

"Will you read to me, please?" she smiled a gap-toothed grin at him.

"Of course I will, angel," he told her as he beamed down at her, allowing her to open the book at the start. John began to read the words on the page and Chase watched from the sidelines under the guise that she was checking her Blackberry. But her eyes were firmly on the WWE superstar and the young dying girl who looked so frail and fragile in his embrace. The dancer had to force back her tears and swallow down the huge lump which had formed in her throat. How could life be so cruel? This beautiful little girl who had a thirst for life, a baby who hadn't even begun living and yet her very existence was about to be ripped out from beneath her. Her parents could only console each other and make their child's last moments on earth as comfortable as possible.

Chase left the room, stepping out into the corridor as John continued to read to Kimberly.

And that was exactly where he found her about 30 minutes later, leaning back against the wall with her head tipped back, eyes closed over.

"There you are," she stood tall at the sound of his voice, sniffing.

"Yeah, sorry, I had a phone call to take," Chase lied, not wanting John to know the real reason that she had left the room. Her lower lip wobbled as she bent double to pick her bag up and loop it onto her shoulder, Blackberry firmly in her hand. "Are you ready to go?"

"In a minute, yeah," the bigger man pressed a hand against the wall next to Chase's head, caging her between his muscled arm and firm torso. "Why did you really leave the room, Chase?"

"I told you," Chase shook her head at him. "I had a phone call to take. It was important."

"I don't doubt that all of your phone calls are important. But I know when you're lying. And you are lying, Chase."

"What?" Chase furrowed her brow at him, dragging her teeth across her lower lip to try and stop the trembling. "No, I'm not. Why would I be lying?"

"Because I think you just couldn't handle watching that little girl anymore. And you're too proud to admit it," John shrugged, still pressing his palm against the wall. "It's okay to be upset. I got like that the first few times too. It's not easy, Chase. But what I'm doing is certainly easier than what her parents and thousands more like them have to do."

"It's not fair," Chase's voice cracked, her bottom lip wobbling out of a control. Her eyes began to tear up and she couldn't stop the two tears from leaking out of her eyes, trailing mascara down her cheeks with them. "It's not fair, John," she sobbed, her shoulders sagging against the wall.

"C'mon, it's okay," John pushed himself off the wall and took Chase into his arms, holding her against his chest with one large hand hooked through her now shorter wavy hair. "Shh, it's okay," he tried to comfort her as her body was racked with horrible, heavy, choking sobs.

* * *

><p>John used one arm to wedge the door open and Chase slipped inside the arena, bag hooked over her shoulder, Blackberry in hand. She carried John's dry cleaning zip-up bag folded over one forearm as she now walked slightly in front of him. Her heels made a rhythmic pattern on the hard concrete floors and she could hear John's heavier footsteps behind her.<p>

"Chase?" she stopped, turning to face him. The superstar had thrust his hands into his pockets and he looked nervously at her. "Will you be okay?"

Chase nodded with a deep breath. "Yeah, I'll be fine, John. I'm going to go and see Nick."

John opened his mouth to say something but he just let out an affirmative sigh. "Yeah, you should do that," he told her, holding his hands out for the bag she carried for him. Chase handed it over to him.

"Thank you," she told him gratefully before turning on her heel and heading further into the arena in search of the locker rooms.

Knocking on the locker room door, Chase was surprised when another woman answered it.

"Oh," Chase took a shaky step back, surprise flooding through her. She furrowed her eyebrows when the woman - not much older than her - beamed at her.

"You must be Chase," she said. "I'm April It's nice to meet you."

"Hi," Chase remarked pitifully, unable to come up with something else to say. She was at a loss, not sure who this woman was. Chase's day-to-day job involved John. She ate, breathed and slept his schedule and didn't have the time to get her mind involved anyone else's story-lines or schedules - even Nick's. "Is Nick here?" Chase inquired.

"Oh yeah. Hold on and I'll get him," April chuckled. "We were just discussing the story-line," she glanced over her shoulder. "Nick. Chase is here," Chase heard her say. Smoothing her hands down over her pencil skirt, the PA felt that her palms were damp. She was nervous. This woman in front of her was very pretty and that left her feeling slightly insecure. With her and Nick's relationship just beginning, Chase knew that anything could jeopardise it. Not that she thought Nick would do anything to hurt her but she didn't need to add to those little nagging doubts at the far corners of her mind.

Nick popped his head around the door, seeing Chase standing there. April looked between them and then disappeared back into the locker room.

"Hey, babe," Nick said to Chase, smiling at her. "How was your day? Busy like you thought?" he asked, leaning his back against the wall outside his locker room. Chase felt her lower lip begin to tremble, much like it had at the hospital and her eyes watered. Nick could see the change in her and pushed himself off the wall instantly. "Hey, hey," he dragged out the second word. "Baby? Chase, what's wrong?" he asked taking her into his arms. Concern instantly shot through him and he began to panic over what was wrong with her. She wasn't normally like this and now he was truly worried about her. Chase buried her face in his neck, tears streaming down her face and soaking into Nick's shirt.

"Oh, Nick," she sobbed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, clasping her hands together at the base of his head.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	20. Life Is Unkind

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **Nat-Nat 360**, **xXParieceXx**, **LiesForTheLiars**, **AngelMarie1226**, **xmollymayx** and **ThatGirl54** for leaving reviews.

Please check out my new John Cena fic called 'Heads or Tails'. :)

_**CHAPTER TWENTY**_

Gathering the ends of her hair, Chase secured her now shorter locks in a messy bun piled atop her head. She leaned forward on the bench as she pulled on a pair of black sweatbands.

"There you are, angelface. I've been looking all over for you," Chase glanced across her shoulder when she heard Punk's voice behind her.

"Well, you found me," she smiled very slightly at him. She tried to focus on him but Bryan appeared behind him and he had one of those infectious smiles on his face. His beard had grown longer and more unruly since the last time she had seen him but he had cut his hair slightly shorter again. As soon as Chase saw him, she felt all of the small amount of elation she'd had at seeing Punk fade away. "Are you ready to work out?" she asked Punk before she turned her eyes to Bryan. "You! Don't even speak to me," she pointed her finger at him as she stood up off the bench.

"What did I do?" Bryan looked shocked, placing his hand against his chest. Punk looked as equally surprised as Bryan did by Chase's rare outburst.

"You know exactly what you did!" Chase was seething with him. If it wasn't bad enough that John had lied to her and hadn't felt like he could tell Chase where he was going for Christmas but Bryan had known as well. She'd seen the comments and the pictures - their happy little family gathered together around the Christmas tree. He'd made a fool out of her by allowing her to believe John's bullshit about going home to his family. "If we're going to do this then let's go, Punk," she motioned with her head towards the gym equipment to her left. Stalking off, Chase stripped off her dark grey ruched zipper to reveal a black and dark grey sports bra and matching pants. She could hear Punk and Bryan frantically whispering to each other behind her. As she hopped onto the treadmill, Chase forced herself to concentrate on the view of the city that she had from the large glass windows of the gym.

"Get off the treadmill," Punk approached the side of her treadmill just as she had picked up a decent jogging pace.

"What?" she looked to him, her eyebrows pulled together.

"Off. Now!" he slammed his fist on the emergency stop and Chase gripped the bars to keep her balance as her treadmill ceased to move. She turned to look at him, placing her hands on her hips.

"What the hell, Punk?" Chase shook her head. "Why?"

"Because I want to talk to you," he beckoned her off the treadmill, crooking his finger at her. Chase let out a sigh and stepped off the gym equipment, following Punk back to the bench. Punk licked his lips, lowering himself onto the bench and bracing his elbows on his knees. Chase glanced around her, noticing for the first time that Bryan had gone. Upon this realisation, Chase let out a deep sated sigh.

"Look, Punk, if this is what I think it is then just please, don't bother. Let's just get back to work."

"Sit down, please," he motioned with his palm to the empty space on the bench next to him. Chase chewed on the inside of her lip before reluctantly taking a seat next to him. "What was that? With Bryan?"

"That was private."

"Chase," Punk looked at her skeptically. "If that was private then you wouldn't have said anything when I was around."

"It is private. I just wanted to make sure he knew not to speak to me. I'm not taking the piss here, Punk, I'm genuinely pissed off at him."

"Why?" he smirked. "What has he done to get you so worked up, dollface?"

"I'm sure you know exactly what happened. It's not hard to work out and you did have your lovely little conversation in the corner when I was on the treadmill," the dancer-turned-PA remarked sarcastically.

"Don't get smart with me, sugar," Punk retorted, narrowing his eyes at her. "I want to know what happened?"

"He lied to me! He let me believe John Cena's bullshit."

"How did he lie to you?" Punk held his hands out to his sides.

"He didn't tell me John had lied to me. He didn't tell me John was spending Christmas with Stephanie and with him and Brianna. You know, I know that people lie and people bend truths and people deceive other people - as sad as it is, it's a basic human function. But when it comes to friends, you don't do that. You're not supposed to lie to friends and bend the truth. You're supposed to be honest, Punk. He made a fool out of me. I bet you all made a fool out of me," Chase stood up, hurt in her eyes and her voice. She attempted to walk away but Punk gripped her wrist, pulling her back.

"Hey! I didn't lie to you and I certainly haven't made a fool out of you. I didn't even know Johnboy was dipping into the Bella pool. Why are you so concerned with what he did for Christmas when you, yourself, went with Nick to Ohio? Shouldn't Johnboy have a reason to be pissed off at you?"

"If you think that I'm upset because he spent Christmas with them then you're mistaken, Punk. I'm angry because he lied to me. All he had to do was tell me and everything would have been alright. I-"

"Would it have been? Are you so sure about that?"

"Of course I'm sure!"

"Chase," Punk shook his head at her as he stood up off the bench. "When are you going to stop lying to yourself?"

"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?" Chase was taken aback.

Punk placed his hand on her shoulder and rubbed back and forth gently. "You know what it means, angel," he passed by her. "I don't think you're up for this today. Let's take a break," he left her standing in the same spot as he exited the gym.

* * *

><p>For the remainder of the day, Chase could not get Punk's words out of her mind. She'd showered and changed and gone about her daily routine by accompanying John to a few functions before they headed to the arena to tape the New Year's Eve edition of Monday Night Raw.<p>

As Chase watched Nick wrestle his match with April by his side, Chase couldn't help but wonder if Punk was right? John did have a reason to be pissed off with her. She was hurt because he had lied to her but all along she had been lying to him too. With that realisation, she stood from her chair by the monitors and headed for John's locker room. It was about time that he knew the truth - she at least owed him that much.

Knocking on the door, she heard whispering coming from inside. Knocking again, Chase called out to whoever was inside.

"John? It's me, Chase. I need to talk to you."

The door opened a few moments later and John stood there, ready for his match. He smiled at her and invited her inside where she was able to see that he had been mid-conversation with Bryan.

"Hey, Chase," Bryan tried timidly and she gave him a small smile, forcing herself to swallow her wounded pride.

"Can John and I speak in private, Bryan?"

He nodded and made his way to the door, leaving the PA and her boss alone. John looked to her after Bryan had left and Chase felt a lump form in her throat.

"What's up?" he leaned forward to ruffle her hair slightly before sitting down on one of the benches. Chase grinned at him and shook her hair back into place before awkwardly continuing to stand there and fold her arms over her chest.

"Well, I won't keep you long because I know you have a match but I just...I have something to tell you and I think you deserve to know after all the fuss that I kick-"

"Chase, calm down," John motioned with his hands, stopping her mid-sentence. "What do you need to tell me?"

"I-I, Nick and I are together."

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	21. Warning Sign

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **Nat-Nat 360**, **AngelMarie1226**, **1222mercedes1222**, **ThatGirl54** for leaving reviews.

_**CHAPTER TWENTY ONE**_

Chase nervously thrust her hands into the pockets of her pressed black pants, not wanting John to see how scared she was of his reaction. It was easy to picture in her mind how he might react. She could only hope that picturing the reaction was all she would do. John was just about to open his mouth to reply when there was a knock on the door and it opened. Both occupants of the room turned to see Stephen popping his head about the door, his palm pressed against the thick wood.

"Yeh ready, fella?" he questioned John with that strange sounding Irish accent, looking between Chase and John.

"Yeah, man," John approached him, patting the flame haired superstar on the shoulder before turning back to Chase. "We done here? I've got a match to get to, Chase," he raised his eyebrows.

"I-I guess. But, John-"

"We'll talk later," he waved his hand at her and was already out of the door before she could speak again. She could do nothing but chase after him. He was long gone at the far end of the corridor and with a resigned sigh, Chase chewed on the inside of her cheek and leaned her back against the open door frame.

"With a face like that, I am guessing that you didn't tell him?" Chase looked to her right to see Bryan approaching her. The vegan superstar was still timid around the PA after her outburst and Chase could tell. She smiled curiously at him, tilting her head to the side.

"Told him what?" Chase asked.

"That you love him," Bryan couldn't help but laugh at her sheer naivety.

"What?" Chase replied, baffled. "I don't love John."

"Yes, Chase, you do love him. Anybody with two eyes could tell that you two are mad for each other. You're just letting pride get in the way, sweetheart."

"I am not," she was practically pouting by now. "I'm not in love with him. I'm not!"

"Who are you trying to make believe it more? Me or yourself? Look, you're going to have to realise it one day, Chase and by then it might be too late."

"What do you mean too late?" she pushed herself off the door frame and moved closer to him.

"Steph is his rebound. I think even she knows that. But someone else will come along, there are plenty of girls out there. And if you don't tell him, he'll choose someone else. You'll lose him before you've even had him," he rubbed a hand across his mouth. "Just think about what you're doing because you're only hurting yourself more by lying."

The vegan superstar left her with that piece of advice before making his way into the locker room and closing the door, leaving Chase dazed and confused in the hallway. Her mind was on information overload. She was just trying to do the right thing. All she wanted was to be happy. Nick made her happy, right? Right?!

Truthfully, Chase's thoughts on a relationship with John had never gone much beyond those childish imaginings that you get when you think about yourself with someone. She had briefly pictured how it would feel to be with someone like John Cena but she knew that even her imagination couldn't do it justice. From the little bit of kindness he had shown her in being her friend, she could only imagine about how he would be if he was your other half. She'd quickly vetoed the thoughts that someone like her could ever be with someone like him. What would he see in her - a damaged 24 year old girl from backwater Florida with suitcases of emotional baggage? How was she supposed to fix things with them? Their relationship had been dissolving from the moment that Chase had taken the job and she had to think that the majority of it was all her fault. She knew she acted irrational and was overbearing most of the time. She knew that she spoke to John out of hand and out of turn. But most of all she knew there was a reason why she acted the way she did. She was just too proud to admit it.

Dashing a hand across her cheeks, Chase swiped the tears from her face and shook her head - both physically and mentally at herself for being so stupid and immature. What the hell did John think of her now? He was probably regretting the moment he let such a childish little girl into his life.

She had so much going on in her head that she could barely make sense of her own thoughts. Nick had swept her off her feet and she was so caught up in how he made her feel in the moment that she had forgot to think about how John made her feel all of the time. And it was scary. It was scary to think that maybe she did love John. And it was even scarier to think he might love her back. What if she put herself out there and he shot her down in flames? He had Stephanie, what the hell would he want with someone like Chase?

Pushing those silly thoughts to the back of her mind, Chase vowed to herself to get on with her job and be as professional as possible until she could wade through the mess she had made of her life. She had to make things right. But she needed time.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	22. Take A Breath, Take A Step

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **Nat-Nat 360**, **poisenousprincess**, **LiesForTheLiars**, **XmarX**, **AngelMarie1226 **and **xXParieceXx **for reviewing.

_**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO**_

The Royal Rumble was arguably WWE's second biggest pay-per-view of the year - only behind the biggest stage of them all - Wrestlemania. The Road to Wrestlemania officially begins on the night of The Royal Rumble. Chase had to agree with the statistics, it was actually her favourite pay-per-view of the year and the match she most looked forward to was the rumble itself. Thirty men entering the ring one after another in 90 second time slots, all battling for the biggest prize of them all - a golden ticket straight to the main event of Wrestlemania.

Chase had been working hard to sort her right from her left in the run up to the rumble. She and John were still on shaky footing but things were beginning to get better. She hadn't yet found the courage to be fully honest with him and confess her feelings - nor had she informed Nick of what had been going on. She knew that burying her head in the sand wouldn't make it all go away but she already had far too much on her plate to risk an internal fight between two main card superstars - Mr McMahon could have her job for less.

Sipping from a polystyrene cup of hot coffee, Chase carried a thick wad of files as she made her way down the corridors of the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Her morning had been filled with updating all of John's personal and medical information and reviewing certain aspects of his new contract. Afterwards it was onto the inaugural Royal Rumble Fan Fest - where the fans got their chance to interact with the superstars on a more personal level including meet-and-greets, panels and in-ring action. Chase had gotten the chance to take a walk around the Fan Fest and she had watched the DX Panel from the back, truly enjoying the banter between the members of the group and the fans who had come to see them. She also enjoyed seeing them give a well deserved push to developmental superstar Taylor 'Bo Dallas' Rotunda by having him come out victorious in a tournament to win a place in the rumble. Subsequently, a press conference for the 'B-A-Star' movement was held after the Fan Fest which Chase had to accompany John to. Following a quick lunch - grabbed from a fast food place on the go - they headed back to the arena for a staff meeting with Vince McMahon and Paul Levesque prior to the airing of the pay-per-view.

And now as John warmed up, Chase had had to finish a few tidbits of the paperwork on which she had been working on that morning. She had left him in the locker room and headed for the canteen trying to get some peace and quiet to finish filling out the forms. Carrying the forms back to the locker room, the PA mulled over what had happened throughout the previous few weeks in her life. She had been swept up in a whirlwind romance with Nick, her relationship with John was falling to pieces and she was now left with making one of the hardest decisions of her life, all the while trying not to hurt anybody in the process. Her life was a complicated web of bad decisions that she, herself, had made. Now she just had to find her way out of the constricting and choking situation she found herself in.

After finishing the last of her coffee, Chase crushed the paper cup and dumped it into a trash basket close to her.

Tingles pooled at the lowermost part of Chase's spine and she found herself glancing over her shoulder, only to find herself faced with Randy Orton. The snake-like superstar had his back pressed against the wall and Chase noted that he was already in his ring-gear - suited and booted for the rumble. His eyes narrowed at her, his inked arms folded across his sculpted chest. The newly blonde PA licked her lips and regarded him with an expression of surprise - it had been a long time since she had had any contact with John's best friend.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Chalmers," the one-time leader of 'Legacy' pushed himself off of the wall and made his way towards her. "How's life on the road treating you?"

Chase cleared her throat and let out an anxious little puff of breath. She was always on edge around Randy and the complicated webs that had been weaved through her personal life had her even more apprehensive now.

"I can't complain," she shrugged and fell into step next to him. "Still enjoying being the top of the food chain on Smackdown?"

Randy ran a hand across his mouth. "Enjoying is a little bit of an overstatement," he responded carefully and they continued on their slow walk towards the gorilla. "Look," he started and Chase stopped walking and turned to face him. "We didn't exactly get off on the best of-"

"No, we didn't. If I remember quite right, you implied after our first meeting that John ought to exert a little bit of his boss/employee power over me," Chase smirked.

"Yeah, about that-"

"Randy, you surely aren't going to stand in front of me and come up with some bullshit excuse for what you said. Let's face it, you're John's best friend, you know him better than the back of your hand," Chase gripped the files tighter in her arms. "You were obviously afraid of him having someone else in his life that could damage him the way Liz did. But surely by now you know that I have not came into his life with any intention of causing him harm."

"I don't think you're trying to hurt him," Randy admitted. "But you're not doing him any good either."

"I'm sorry?" Chase was confused.

"Look, I wasn't born yesterday. I can see that he likes you, he might even lo-" Randy cut himself short and waved his hands. "Whatever John decides to do in his personal life, that's his shit. But this farce that you two have got with burying your damn heads in the sand and refusing to admit how you feel is fucking ridiculous."

"Wait a minute. Basically, what you're saying is that first off, you didn't want me with John in case I hurt him and now you want me to admit that I have feelings for him?"

"I'd like you to admit the truth."

"That's rich coming from you! You made your thoughts about me perfectly clear so tell me why the hell I should do anything for you?"

Randy gently placed a hand on Chase's shoulder.

"You're not doing it for me, Chase. You're doing it for yourself. And for him," Chase followed Randy's gaze to see John standing by some electrical equipment close to the gorilla, immersed in a conversation with Kofi and Stephen. As if feeling their eyes on him, he turned to meet both Randy and Chase's gaze and the young woman felt her chest constrict. He smiled, his white teeth being revealed from behind his lips. Tears stung the back of Chase's throat and eyes and she turned back to Randy.

"This conversation is over. Thank you for your concern, Randy but it's entirely misplaced. Good luck tonight," Chase nodded and disappeared back in the direction of the locker rooms, having already wished John well in the match earlier on.

* * *

><p>The Rumble was nearing it's end with Ryan having just eliminated Randy from the match, leaving only himself, Nick, Stephen and John as the final four members competing for the prize. Chase watched on the monitors from the gorilla, practically on the edge of her seat. Being only a personal assistant, the young woman wasn't privy to the information concerning the outcomes of the matches aired on the pay-per-view. She could only wait and watch to see who would come out on top.<p>

Several other members of the roster were milling about near the monitors, either interested to see who would win or just interested in watching how they would win. Some were superstars who had been eliminated from the match and some were those who hadn't taken part in the match - such as Jonathan 'Dean Ambrose' Good, Joe 'Roman Reigns' Anoa'i and Colby 'Seth Rollins' Lopez, collectively known on-screen as The Shield. Chase could see they were in their black ring gear and she figured they would be interfering in Punk and Dwayne's match following the rumble. Chase liked The Shield. They were one of her favourite on-screen stables and she was eager to see what the WWE were going to do with them.

With her eyes returning to the screens in front of her, Chase continued to watch the match. She could feel her heart beginning to race when it came down to just John and Ryan left in the ring. They faced off against each other, the crowd lapping up every single bit of it. Ryan's character was very popular with the crowd and they loved watching him tear the other superstars apart whilst the crowds were always mixed when it came to John - exactly the way he liked it. She watched as they battled it out against each other and she sunk her teeth deep into her lower lip when she saw John reverse Ryan's finishing move and the bigger man toppled over the top rope, landing on the floor with a thud, thus proclaiming John Cena the winner of the 2013 Royal Rumble.

There were mixed emotions from those gathered around her. Some thought that it was typical that John had won the rumble. The fact that he was practically the top dog in the WWE; the one pulling in the highest amount of money through merchandise and ticket sales, meant that several of the other superstars thought he was handed things on a silver platter. However, there were those that were his friends and closest companions on the road who thought that he deserved the win. Chase glanced over her shoulder to see Punk standing at the back of the crowd. He had his ring gear on with a black hoodie zipped up over the top. His manager, Paul Heyman, stood not that far from him, a smug smile on his face. Punk caught her eye and he winked at her as he rolled his neck. He had his fingers laced together and he was rotating his wrists in a circular movement as she had seen him do on many previous occasions, both on TV and off. She stood from her chair and passed through the crowd with little difficulty, reaching him within a matter of seconds.

"So, Johnboy pulled off the win," Punk mused with his typical cocky smirk as he stood back from the crowd. Chase noticed that Paul was holding the title belt in his arms, allowing his superstar to warm up before his match.

"Yeah, I see," Chase wrapped her arms around herself for some warmth. "I just came over to say good luck in your match. I hope you win because dropping the belt to Dwayne is bullshit."

"Thanks for the support, sweetheart," he smiled but his eyes did not, letting Chase know that he already knew the outcome to his match and he was not one bit pleased with it. His eyes moved back to the monitors which showed John heading up the ramp towards the curtain, the crowd roaring with their reaction towards his win. Chase followed his gaze for a few brief moments and caught a glimpse of John stepping through the curtain on-screen before she turned back to Punk. Grabbing the sleeve of his hoodie, she tugged on it to gain his attention.

"I really wish you so much luck in your match, Punk. Break a leg out there," she leaned forward to hug him tightly, her arms wrapping securely around his neck. Punk was a little taken aback by her strange show of affection and he could feel her shaking in his arms which worried him. "But not literally," she whispered in his ear.

"Chase? Are you okay?" he voiced his concern, looping his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him. The way she was acting was very strange. She had been tense for the past month, ever since he'd had his little conversation with her in the gym when she'd snapped at Bryan. But she'd never let on that that had been the reason and he'd continued to worry about her in secret. But now she was scaring him. Chase was normally so composed and so professional that she rarely had a public breakdown of any sort. But it seemed she was having one now.

"I'm fine," she pulled back and sniffed. "I just want you to win your match," she dragged her index fingers under her eyes and blinked a few times. "And I'm a little tired. It's been a long day," she leaned closer to him and planted a kiss on his stubbly cheek, her lips warm against his cool skin. "I'll see you later," she told him when a technician appeared by his side to inform him that his music would be playing soon.

Punk was unsatisfied with leaving her like that but he couldn't do anything. He had to let her go so that he could go out to the ring.

"We'll talk later," he told her, cupping her cheek with his hand before turning to Paul and nodding. The promoter and manager followed after him, first bestowing Chase with a friendly smile as he and Punk headed up the ramp to the curtain. Chase was left standing at the back of the crowd who were now congratulating John on his win. She wanted to wade through them and be at his side, give him a hug and kiss on the cheek and whisper how proud she was of him but it was nigh on impossible. Impossible because she knew that there were too many people gathered around him. And impossible because Stephanie had already beat her to the punch. The brunette was hanging onto his arm and had already pressed a large kiss to his cheek, leaving a garish red lip stain printed to his flesh. She wore a beaming smile on her lips and glanced around at the other superstars with what looked like disdain for hanging around John. Chase felt her eyes stinging once more and rather than let him see her cry, she turned on her heel and fled the scene, wanting to bleach it from her mind. She didn't want to see John with someone else. She didn't want to see him smile at someone else, see his eyes light up for them, see him touch and holding another woman. She wanted the person that he looked at with such love, kindness and genuine captivation and chemistry to be her. But she knew that she was too late. And she didn't have anyone but herself to blame.

"Where are you going?" Chase stopped when she heard John's voice behind her. She had been practically scrambling through the arena, trying to get away from the gorilla as fast as she possibly could. Her low heels which she had chosen specifically for the long day had been comfortable when she put them on that morning but were now biting into her toes and the back of her heels in her hurry to escape the nightmare she had created. "Why did you run away, Chase?" he questioned. "I called after you. But you didn't answer," John added as he moved around her and stopped in front of her, blocking her exit path.

"I-I'm tired. And I'm cold," she tipped her head back, looking up at him with all of the confidence she could muster. "And I just want to go back to the hotel."

"You're lying," he shook his head with a small smile.

"I'm not lying, John," she shook her head at him. "Congratulations on winning," Chase managed to secure some control in her voice, enough to stop it wavering. "I was going to congratulate you back there but there were too many people and...I...I really need to go. You should go back to Ste-" Chase cut herself short and tried to move past John but he was a steadfastly wall of muscle, blocking her way.

"Chase!" he grabbed her wrist. "Chase, will you just wait. Just talk to me like we used to for fuck sake!"

"I-I can't!" she managed to squeeze out, feeling so far out of her depth that she was beginning to feel woozy. She was finding it so hard to bite her tongue and control her feelings. John threw her for a loop every single time he was around her and she'd worked hard to bury those feelings away in a little locked box at the back of her mind for so long and now they were coming back faster than she could control. "Just let me go!" she stammered and tried to tug her wrist away from him.

"No," John shook his head and pulled more firmly on her wrist until Chase was in his arms. One of his big hands framed her face, his large thumb teasingly pulling at her lower lip before he dropped his head to hers, their foreheads pressed tightly together. "I'm not letting you go," he added before he covered Chase's lips with his own.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	23. It's An Altar, It's A Shelter

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **XmarX**, **Nat-Nat 360**, **smash07**, **poisenousprincess**, **AngelMarie1226**, **xXParieceXx**, **ThatGirl54 **(2 reviews) and **1222mercedes1222.**

_**CHAPTER TWENTY THREE**_

Chase trembled as John pressed his lips to hers firmly. His big arm curled around her neck and he cradled her head against his large bicep, the fingertips of his hand softly stroking her hair. His other hand touched her face, so gentle in comparison to his kiss which was fueled with built up tension and need. She kissed him back - giving into him, surrendering to his touch and her feelings entirely, pouring everything she felt into every swipe of her tongue against his.

"Stop!" she cried out breathlessly as she pulled away from him. Her bare forearms pressed against John's chest as he held her so close to him, his hot breath gently disrupting the wispy bits of her hair. "N-n-not like this," Chase told him. "Not like this," she repeated more firmly, bowing her head against his strong chest before she pushed herself away from him. Lifting a shaky hand to her lips which were tingling from his kiss, Chase tried to regain her breath.

"Chase, I..." John tried but he faltered, unsure of what to say. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jean shorts, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the concrete beneath their feet.

"I know," Chase agreed. "We can't do this," she shook her head at him. "At least not like this," she took another step away from him, trying to put some well needed distance between them. "John, I-I-I don't know how to say what I want to say to you. I d-don't know how to put it into words. I've been such a fool. I'm surprised you even want to be around me," she sniffed as she gave a laugh tinged with sadness. "I'm not used to this. I'm not used to being with somebody. I've never been able to tell when someone wants to...wants to be with me and you know, I'm just so messed up," a dry sob left Chase's mouth. "You must think I am so stupid and so immature!"

"Chase, don't say things like that," John took his hands out of his pockets and tried to reach out to her.

Chase tried to get her bearings and gather her thoughts.

"I have got so much going on in my head and so many things that I have to sort through," she let out a breath, her eyes dropping. "I need time to think. I need to go home, John. I want to go home."

Reaching for her, John cupped Chase's face with his big hands. "You can't run away from this. You can't bury your head in the sand, Chase and pretend that none of this is happening. Look," he tried to find the words to tell her what he really felt. "I haven't felt like this about someone is a long time. You came into my life with a bang, Chase. And it's never been the same since. I don't want to lose that."

Chase shook her head at him, curling her own hands around his wrists.

"I'm not running away, John. I just need time to think. I need to talk to Nick and you have got to talk to Stephanie. I don't want to be a home wrecking tramp."

"A home wrecking tramp?" John raised his eyebrows, a large smile forming on his lips.

"Yes!" Chase replied, unable to stop her own smile crossing her lips. She dipped her head, breaking eye contact with John before he tipped her head back once more.

"You'll come back right?" John questioned her after a few moments, his voice cracking. "You're not just going to run off and leave me?" he grinned.

Chase giggled. "No. I am not going to run off and leave you. I will come back," she squeezed his wrists. "I just need some time," Chase's voice dropped to not much above a whisper as she removed her hands from his wrists and reached out to touch his slightly stubbled face. Swiping her tongue over her lips, Chase pushed herself onto her tip toes and further into his arms, pushing her lips against John's in a firm kiss. His arms surrounded her, pulling her further into him.

* * *

><p>Chase zipped up her suitcase with a final sigh. She'd managed to get on a late-night flight out of Phoenix with a short stop over in Miami on the way home. She was upset about leaving but she knew that she had to. She needed time to get her head around things. She'd already spoken to Nick and he had agreed to come out to Land O' Lakes to see her the following week. What she had to say to him would take longer than a few stolen moments in a corridor in an arena somewhere. He deserved more than that.<p>

Wheeling her suitcase to the door, Chase opened it, jumping back when she saw Punk poised to knock.

"Jesus!" she pressed a hand to her chest as she jumped back.

"Only on the weekends, dollface," he smirked at her. "So you're leaving?"

"Just for a little while, Punk," he moved back as she stepped out into the corridor, closing the hotel room door behind her. "I just need some time to get my head together."

"Well, shit, Chase. To me, it kind of looks to me like you're running away. You know those problems that you want to get your head around, they'll still be here when you come back."

"I'm not running away. I'm trying to sort things out. But this is a difficult environment to try and do that."

"Look, I trust you. You're a grown ass woman and you obviously know what you're doing. Don't forget about us, kid," he reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulder and grabbed her suitcase with his other hand. The two started down the hallway towards the elevator.

"I'm not leaving for that long. I'll be gone like 6 weeks, max. I'll be back before Wrestlemania. Besides, there is no way that I could forget your ugly ass face," Chase reached up to gently pat his cheek.

"Please, you love my ugly ass face," Punk squeezed her shoulder.

"Yeah, I suppose I do," Chase agreed as they called for the elevator.

Punk traveled with Chase down to the lobby, chatting animatedly about what had happened at the show that night. Chase could sense there was a real sadness in his voice when he talked about dropping the title to The Rock. But he shrugged it off and changed the subject. He called her a cab and put her suitcase in the trunk when it came.

"I will miss you," Chase told him. "But I'll see you soon," she added, pushing herself up to press another one of those kisses to his cheek.

"Oh shucks, you'll make me blush," he told her. Chase rolled her eyes with a smile and got in the cab. Giving the driver instructions, she sat back and looked out of the back window, waving her hand to Punk.

* * *

><p>When her flight landed in Tampa, Chase was utterly exhausted. She'd managed to keep her tears at bay until the wheels of her plane had left the tarmac at the airport in Phoenix. They'd flowed freely, running into her mouth and dripping onto the berry coloured blouse she still wore. It was hard not to attract the attention of the other passengers and the older woman who sat beside her had passed her some tissues, a sympathetic look on her weathered face.<p>

Entering the terminal, Chase glanced around all of the commuters to see if she could find Haley or Lou. They'd agreed to meet her at the airport when she told them she was coming back. It would be good for her to see her friends - her best friends - she needed them now more than ever.

"Chase!" she heard her name being called and she looked up to see Haley and Chase standing by the doors. Rushing towards them, the dancer-turned-PA dragged her suitcase behind her. "We can't believe that you're back!" both girls were practically jumping for joy.

Chase tried to gather the same amount of enthusiasm as her two best friends but all she could do was smile softly.

"Look at this hair," Lou grinned, reaching out to touch Chase's now shorter, blonder hair. "You look amazing," she added.

"And these clothes," Haley pitched in. "You look so...Chase, are you okay, babe?"

Chase shook her head, feeling more tears coming on.

"No. No, I'm not. I've done something really bad," she sobbed, falling into her friends' embrace.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	24. Against The Tide

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **Nat-Nat 360**, **XmarX**, **LiesForTheLiars**, **AngelMarie1226**, **ThatGirl54 **and **xXParieceXx** for leaving reviews.

_**CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR**_

A deathly silence filled the hotel bar as Chase waited on Nick coming down from his room. She had thought it best that he get a hotel in the city - not entirely comfortable with him staying in John's home, considering the conversation they were about to have. Gently running her finger around the rim of her wine glass, Chase tugged at the hem of her black dress with her other hand, tugging it down over the flesh of her thighs a bit more. She cast her eyes around the bar but found nothing of particular interest. There was a couple in the corner - more engrossed in each other than their drinks - and a businessman typing on a laptop at another one of the booths. She was the only other person in the bar aside from the bartender, who was busy tapping away at the keys on his phone.

"Babe," Chase jumped as Nick approached from behind her, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. He ran his hand across her shoulders and then took a seat on the stool next to her. A shiver ran up Chase's spine and she was sure it wasn't tingles from Nick's kisses - she was so terrified about how he would take what she had to tell him. Nick signaled to the barman and ordered a drink, giving Chase enough time to appraise his attire. He wore a pair of dark denim jeans and a white t-shirt with a black suit jacket thrown over the top. His hair was loose and curly - the way Chase preferred it.

"How was your flight?" Chase asked as she took a sip of her wine, letting the flavours wash across her tongue. In an ideal world, she'd have already downed quite a few glasses to give herself some liquid courage but she wanted to do this is the most mature manner possible.

Nick turned to her, placing his hand on her knee gently.

"It was fine. I had a little brat behind me who wouldn't stop kicking my seat but after we shared a few words," he grinned. "She settled down."

Chase smiled, playing with the stem of her wine glass. The barman handed Nick his beer and he necked a mouthful of it before turning his eyes back to her.

"So how do you feel being back in Florida? Is it better than being on the road? Everybody is missing you, babe."

"I'm sure they aren't, really," Chase fobbed him off. "I feel a bit better being back here. I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things. I'm not exactly in a great place right now."

"Talk to me. I'm your friend, first and foremost."

Chase tried to still the wobble in her lower lip. This was harder than she ever thought it would be. How do you tell somebody that's been nothing but nice to you, that has been there for you, that you don't want to be with them anymore?

"Chase," Nick continued. "I know that you must be struggling, I can see it from the look in your eyes. I know that it's difficult but you have got to talk to me."

"This isn't working," she blurted out, gripping the edge of the bar.

"What? Talking to me isn't working?" Nick furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"No, not that talking. This. Us. It's not working anymore," Chase confessed. "I can't do this anymore."

Nick was silent. He swallowed thickly. And then he swallowed again before he took another long pull from his beer. His mouth formed a round shape.

"You brought me here to break up with me? You...you couldn't have told me over the phone or something?"

There was a slight undertone of anger to his words and Chase could feel her own anger simmering beneath the surface. She didn't want to fight with him.

"I didn't want to do something so cruel. You deserved better than that, Nick. I-I...The truth is that I can't be with you when I...love someone else. I'm in love with someone else."

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Nick considered her words for a moment. He knew it was the truth. He had seen it but he hadn't wanted to see it, forced himself to refuse to believe it.

"You love John," it was a statement rather than a question. "Does he know? Have you told him?"

"He knows," Chase answered carefully. After a few moments of terse silence, Chase continued. "How long have you and April been sleeping together?"

Nick blinked at her, his eyes wide. "We haven't...we didn't...Chase, you don't thi-"

"I know that you like her," Chase couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. "She likes you too, Nick. I saw it in her face the day I came by the locker room. I don't know if you've been sleeping with her and I'm not really bothered because I know she'll make you happy. I just want you to be happy."

"Does John make you happy?"

Chase let out a small laugh as she thought about John. "Yes."

* * *

><p>Having been back in Florida for a little over a month, the young dancer-turned-PA found that the time was flying by and she knew that sooner or later she would need to return to her job at John's side. She had put a lot of thought into how it was going to work. Mixing business with pleasure didn't normally work out so great if history was anything to go by. Chase could only hope that she and John flowed against the tide and could make it work.<p>

John had sent a few texts to Chase's Blackberry, simply asking after her and saying that he hoped that she was doing okay back in Florida. It was sweet to know that he was thinking of her, always considering her well-being above everything else. She had responded in kind, with few words, letting him know that she was fine.

One of the hardest parts of being back in Florida was visiting Grace's grave. The wind had blown stray, curled leaves across the flat grass and weeds stemmed from the corners of the gravestone. Chase had cleared them away and placed some fresh flowers down. The tears had came again. She'd never stop missing Grace - she'd been the last piece of her family. But she knew that her grandmother wouldn't want her to be wallowing. She'd want Chase to go out and live her life and not let anything hold her back.

Upon returning to John's house - she still had a spare key and he'd given her permission to stay there - Chase decided that she owed it to herself to relax. She needed to get rid of the stress that making so many life changing decisions in such a short space of time had caused.

She had just settled down onto the plush rug in front of the unlit fireplace when she heard the crunch of the gravel that lined the edge of the driveway outside. Her heart hammered in her chest, beating a furious pattern against her rib cage. Who would be coming by the house at this time of night? What if it was somebody who thought the house was empty and they wanted to burgle the place? What if they had a gun or some sort of weapon?

Footsteps sounded across the paved driveway and Chase sat curled up on the floor of the house with her knees pulled up to her chest. She gripped the glass of wine that was in her hand tighter, pressing her lips together into a thin line. Maybe it was a fan? Or a relative that she hadn't met? They'd probably just go away if she didn't answer the door.

Her heartbeat began to calm down just as the sound of the key sliding into the lock rose through the air. They had a key?

Chase stood up. Her legs which were bare beneath the tiny shorts she wore were shaking under her weight. She brandished the glass in her hand, ready to use it as a weapon should it be anyone she didn't think should have access to the house. A figure rounded the corner in the dull light, shaking light raindrops off of themselves As they lifted their head, Chase caught sight of John's blue eyes and she breathed a physical sigh of relief, her loose off-the-shoulder t-shirt dropping further down her arm as she relaxed.

"Chase," his face broke out into a grin as he took her in, her hand almost breaking the glass in two as she curled her hand around it. His eyes followed the arm of her t-shirt which had revealed some of her naturally tanned flesh and he licked his lips slightly.

Chase placed the glass down on the nearest surface and was in his arms without another word, pressing her lips against his firmly.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	25. In The Moment

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **XmarX**, **Nat-Nat 360**, **ThatGirl54**, **AngelMarie1226** and **smash07** for leaving reviews. XxX

_**CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE**_

John caught Chase easily, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She kissed him, clearly glad to see his face after almost five weeks apart. He returned her kisses zealously, curling his hands into the back of the material of her shirt, twisting it around his fists as he tried to get closer to her. He was damp, covered with a light spattering of the rain he'd been caught in walking from the car to the house but Chase paid that no heed, solely focused on the man in front of her. She tried to divest him of the light jacket that he wore, pushing at the material around his shoulders. John shook it off and the material fell to the floor, his kisses becoming more demanding as he swiped his tongue against Chase's teasingly. Gripping her around the waist, John lifted Chase into the air and her legs twined around him, her ankles crossing at the base of his spine. Her lithe body was plastered against his muscled torso and John had to control himself, thoughts of throwing her down on the floor and taking her right there at the forefront of his mind.

His peak physical strength ensured that he could carry Chase with ease and he had her upstairs within moments, their mouths still fused together. For the first time on a personal level, Chase found herself inside of John's bedroom. The furnishings were minimal because John hardly every spent time there. A large king-sized bed was the main feature of the room. Carved out of dark mahogany wood, it boasted a beautifully carved head and foot board - the pattern akin to something out of a 19th century palace. The white sheets were crisp and fresh - thanks to Chase who had taken to cleaning the house to keep herself occupied upon her return.

John gently placed Chase down against the mattress, lowering himself over her on his knees. The kisses exchanged between them were frantic and hungry, the built up sexual tension had reached boiling point.

John broke the kiss first, his clammy forehead pressing against Chase's bare shoulder. Her dainty hands framed his face and she felt panic stricken, embarrassment filling her at the thought that he was rejecting all of her advances. He breathed against her, hot and minty and Chase took a deep breath as he pulled back to look at her.

Their eyes met and Chase swallowed. "Chase, I..." he faltered slightly. "I have to-"

"Ssh," she pressed a finger to his lips, quieting all of the protests that he was trying to make. Reaching for his hand, Chase slowly - and in a move so unlike her - deliberately guided his hand inside her shirt, along the bare flesh of her taught stomach to the curve of her bare breast beneath the flimsy cloth. John's throat bobbed and a shaky breath left his mouth followed by a tightly wound groan. He dropped his head again, closing his eyes as he felt her nipple harden under his soft but calloused touch. "I trust you," Chase added with a whisper.

Their eyes met again and John lost that internal battle with himself and he pressed his lips to Chase's again. Laying her back fully against the mattress, the kisses they exchanged became hungrier and harder than before. His hands were quick to divest her of the soft cotton material that covered her top half and Chase's hard earned curves were revealed to him in all of their glory. He cupped her soft breasts in his hands, her nipples taut against his fingers. She gave a quiet moan as he lowered his mouth across her, reveling in the feel of their first intimate touch. Her hips rocked upwards against John's still clothed body. He was hard and ready for her; had been from the moment she practically launched herself at him. His thoughts of this moment were nothing compared with the reality of having Chase pressed against him and under him.

Peppering kisses down her torso, he deftly unbuttoned her shorts as his teeth gently grazed the skin of her stomach, soothing the slight pain with a quick flick of his tongue. With scrambling hands, the Florida native tugged at the t-shirt he wore and John helped her remove it, throwing it behind him. Tugging her shorts down her toned legs, he removed the scrap of lace beneath them as well, gently placing one leg over her shoulder and opening her to him. Chase was breathing deeper now, anticipation and fear running through her. She wasn't an idiot; she knew that John had been with more than his fair share of woman, and she was just afraid that she wouldn't match up to them.

The first swipe of his tongue against her had Chase throwing her head back against the covers. She sunk her teeth dangerously deep into her bottom lip, drawing blood as she fought to retain the moan she so badly wanted to evoke. John had simply wanted a taste. He'd been wondering how she would taste and he'd had no intention of doing anything but teasing her. But once her honeyed essence coated his tongue, he was like a man dying of thirst. Parting her with his fingers, the tip of his tongue found that pearly bud of nerves nestled within her, circling it slowly.

He delighted in the feel of her shaking beneath him - he loved the reaction he was getting.

She was hot and wet - just for him. She was writhing naked on his bed - just for him.

He made his way back up her body, lowering her leg back to the bed. John kissed her again, dipping his tongue into her mouth. Chase could taste herself faintly on him but it only served to fuel her desire all over again. She wanted this man with everything she had in her. She wanted to be with him wholly and uncompromisingly; she'd never felt this way about anyone in her life. She reached for his belt, undoing it as quick as her fumbling fingers would allow. Removing his wallet from his back pocket, the WWE superstar aided Chase in removing the last barrier between them, pushing down his boxers along with his jeans.

John pulled back to look at her as he removed a condom from his wallet. The tiny foil package glinted in the low light in the room. He tore it open with his teeth, Chase watching him with rapt attention. Her blonde hair was spilling out around her head in a halo, wavy strands stretching across the sheets. Her blue eyes were wide, pupils dilated with lust and need. Her sharp nails dug into his strong biceps, encouraging him along as he rolled the protection down his hard length.

Lowering himself across her once more, John gripped one of her legs under the knee, pulling it tightly against his body as he used his other hand to guide himself to her centre. Chase could feel the tip pressing against her and she rocked her hips down against him. A pleasure filled whimper left her lips as John pressed himself fully inside of her, filling her entirely. There was a slight pulse of pain but it was gone within seconds, taken over only by the pleasure which surged through her.

Sliding his strong forearm beneath her neck, John pulled Chase to him for a kiss, his finger tangling in her hair. He propelled his hips forward as he picked up a quick rhythm of thrusts. John consumed Chase completely; mind and body abandoned to nothing but what he was making her feel. His fingers gripped her thigh in his hand, curling it around his back as he sunk deeper into her. Their mouths were joined tightly, frantic kisses exchanged as both chased their release. Angry red marks marred John's back where Chase had dragged her nails down his flesh, tiny half-moon dents now present in his shoulders as she dug her fingers into him.

His strokes were purposeful and steady, his face now pressed into her neck. Chase could feel her climax approaching and she met John thrust for glorious thrust as she finally reached her pinnacle, her shaking body spiraling over the precipice. Like jelly she wriggled beneath him, pulling his mouth back to hers as his final groan filled the damp air.

* * *

><p>"What were you going to do with that glass?" he asked later as they lay tangled in the sheets, legs entwined together. His chin rested atop her head and one large arm surrounded her small frame.<p>

Moving her head to glance up at him, Chase couldn't fight the grin on her lips. "I don't know," she confessed. "I didn't know it was you. I thought maybe it was a fan or a family member I didn't know."

"So you were going to bludgeon one of my fans or a member of my family to death with a wine glass?" he squeezed her side tightly, pulling her tighter against him.

"I hardly think bludgeon is the correct word," she rolled her eyes at him, letting out a girlish giggle when he dipped his head to kiss her. "Maybe if you'd called ahead to say you were coming back, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I wanted to surprise you," he shrugged, stroking her cheek with one hand. "I didn't even know if you'd be here. I had only hoped."

"Why wouldn't I have been here?" Chase furrowed her brows.

"I'm not sure. I just had this feeling that even though you knew you could stay here that you might have chosen not to. I thought you might have stayed with Haley or Lou, just you know, because you didn't want to be around anything to do with me," he told her quietly.

"I didn't say I didn't want to be around you, John," Chase curled her hand around his neck, bracing herself over him with her elbow. "I just needed time. I had a lot of pressure on me as I can imagine that you did too. I blamed myself for not seeing how I felt about you sooner than this. And I blamed myself for having to hurt Nick through this. I needed space to come to terms with what I'd done."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Chase," John told her as he looked up at her. "You can't beat yourself up about Nick forever. He'll move on."

"I know he will," Chase frowned slightly. "But it doesn't stop me thinking about how much I hurt him. We weren't together that long but I still care about him. He's still my friend."

"I know, babe," John pressed a kiss to Chase's forehead. "You don't need to worry about Nick anymore. You don't need to worry about anything anymore," he pulled her down into his arms, wrapping them tighter around her as they both closed their eyes, just enjoying the moment.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	26. Walking Through History

**A/N:** Thanks to **LiesForTheLiars**, **Suicide-Blonde13**, **AngelMarie1226**, **smash07**, **1222mercedes1222**, **XmarX **and **ThatGirl54** for leaving reviews. Enjoy XxX

_**CHAPTER TWENTY**_** SIX**

Chase sat on the bed in the suite she was sharing with John, her legs folded together. Her elbows were braced on her knees, her face pushed into the palms of her hands. She stared at the TV, boredom suddenly overwhelming her. She knew it was frugal to be bored, she was in New York City for God sake! But even being in one of the most amazing cities on the planet; the streets thrumming with the excitement of the WWE coming to town for the biggest pay-per-view of the year, couldn't stop Chase from feeling a little depressed.

Sure, she'd been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time. She knew it was her cue to return to John's side as his personal assistant. He needed his faithful, organised and totally headstrong Chase by his side in the week running up to his big match. And she'd answered his call; flown into New York at the start of the week to take back the reigns of his life from the temporary PA that Vince had assigned his top dog. John had been so happy to see her after almost another month parted from her. His excitement knew no bounds as he insisted it was the best feeling in world having her back by his side.

And Chase had spared no expense in choosing her Hall of Fame dress, spending almost her entire month's salary on the gown. But it was all for naught now. John had come by their suite no less than two hours ago and asked Chase if she would mind bowing out as his date for the event in order for him to escort his ailing grandmother, who had flown in especially for it. Not wanting to be labelled a bitch, Chase had obviously agreed. She'd yet to meet any of John's family and she'd hoped beyond anything else that she would have gotten the chance this evening. But now she was left feeling like a spare part once again! She could still picture the smile that had formed on John's lips when she had agreed to forego the event. He was angry at himself for upsetting her, of course but she knew his heart was in the right place - family was special.

Unfurling herself, Chase stood and stretched her arms over her head, hearing a delightful pop from her spine as she shook her muscles out. She headed for the window, intent on viewing the city from her room on the 15th floor at The Sofitel. A knock on the door interrupted her plans and she moved across, pressing her eye against the peephole. She frowned slightly when she saw Punk at the other side.

Opening the door, Chase pressed her shoulder against the firm wood.

"What are you doing here?" a half smirk formed on her lips.

"I should be asking you the same thing!" he frowned. "Shouldn't you be on your way to the Hall of Fame with Johnboy?"

"About that," Chase sighed lowly. "He bailed on me. His grandmother flew in for it and he asked if it would be okay if he escorted her instead of me. I'm not that fussed, I know how important family is."

Punk could tell from the tone of her voice that she was in fact quite upset. He didn't quite believe the cock and bull story about her not being bothered. Whilst she was right, family did mean a lot, Chase had been raving to him on the phone only just the previous night about how much she was looking forward to attending the ceremony with John.

"Quit the crap, Chase! I know you were looking forward to it, you've talked about nothing else. Did you buy a dress?" Punk raised his eyebrows.

"Yes," Chase felt her cheeks colour. "Of course I did. I spent a full month's salary on it," she admitted, slightly embarrassed.

Punk whistled lowly. "It would be a shame to waste all that cash," he commented loosely and Chase narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm sure I can return it, it's not a problem," the blonde fobbed him off.

"I didn't think clothing stores refunded worn items."

"It's not worn," Chase insisted, confused about what he was implying.

"Well it will be, sweetheart. Put it on. I'll come back and get you in an hour," he swiveled and headed back down the corridor, leaving Chase to stick her head out of the hotel room and stare after him.

"What do you mean, Punk!? Phil!?" she called, getting more agitated as he continued to walk on.

"Just put the damn dress on, Chase," he sighed exasperatedly.

True to his word, Punk was back knocking on the door an hour later. Opening it, Chase tugged the train of dress away from her legs and took a step back. Smoothing the flat of her palms down across her abdomen, she let a shaky breath leave her lips.

"Is it okay?" she asked as Punk's silence wore on. "I don't look horrible?"

He licked his lips. "You could never look horrible," he told her, looking up and down the length of her body. "Johnboy is gonna pitch a fit when he sees you. He's flat out crazy for not taking you as his date," Punk could barely take his eyes off of her. "Well, his loss, my gain. Are you ready to go?"

"Almost," Chase swept back into the room, the layered tulle rustling gently as she moved. Chase threw on a large black coat that she had brought with her, especially for the evening. The city was cold in the night and she didn't want to freeze her ass off. Threading her arms through the sleeves, she settled into the material before scooping up her tiny clutch bag. Moving back to the door, a small giggle left her lips when Punk held out his arm for her to take - like a true gentleman.

* * *

><p>Madison Square Garden was chaos when they arrived. The town car that Chase and Punk occupied was driven to the back gates but the young PA managed to catch a glimpse of the fans who were gathered outside. She couldn't help but smile at their eagerness. Some were jumping around, faint chants could be heard and crowds joked and laughed about what the night would bring.<p>

Nerves fluttered in Chase's stomach as they exited the car and made their way inside the arena. Chase was walking amongst history and that was enough to scare the living hell out of her. The honor she felt at being invited to such an event was something she couldn't even put into words.

"Thanks for bringing me here," she turned to whisper to Punk as they were led through the backstage area towards the green room.

"What are friends for, sugar?" he grinned. Chase had to admit that Punk scrubbed up well. This was the first time she had seen him dressed so conservatively. He wore a simple black suit with a white shirt and a black tie. However, Chase, so unused to seeing him in such formal wear, thought that it looked very handsome on him. His hair was gelled back against his head and his facial hair very neatly trimmed. "See something you like?" Punk grinned Chase's way as he caught her watching him.

"Maybe," Chase couldn't fight the smile on her face, a blush tainting her cheeks. "You look different. Handsome," she admitted.

"You look different too. That dress is stunning," he squeezed her hand as he for once refrained from teasing her. There was so much sincerity in his eyes that Chase almost found that she couldn't look away. Punk was such a good friend to her, he could read her like an open book. He knew what she thinking before she thought it and he had been with her through some of her tough times on the road. It made her feel even more privileged to be on his arm that night.

Punk and Chase were shown into the green room and their coats were taken. Immediately the two began to mingle amongst everyone gathered. All around the two, the guys wore suits and the women were decked out in all of their finery, sheathed in gorgeous dresses. It was a night to honor all of those who had paved the way in the business for the current superstars. And everyone spared no expense to show their gratitude for what had been done for them.

A glass of sparkling champagne was thrust into Chase's hand and Punk held a glass of his trademark Pepsi. She joined in on a conversation with him, TJ 'Tyson Kidd' Wilson and Nattie Neidhart; Tyson's fiancee, and one of the few girls that Chase had grown close to when she was on the road and not busy with John's schedule.

A tap on her shoulder drew Chase out of her conversation and she glanced over her shoulder to see April behind her. The young wrestler who was around the same age as Chase herself had a nervous expression on her face.

"Do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?" she asked so quietly that Chase almost didn't hear her.

Nodding, Chase passed her glass of champagne to Punk and moved off with April, holding up the train of her dress to avoid tripping. April led her to a small alcove of the room away from everybody else. She turned to Chase, pressing a tanned hand against her chest. Her black dress hugged her figure beautifully and she wore her brunette hair down and wavy.

April took a deep breath and she licked her lips before she spoke. "I just wanted to talk to you about Nick and-"

"What about Nick?" Chase cut in, concern instantly filling her voice.

"About what happened between the two of you," April furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "I don't know the full story but the one thing I want you to know is that nothing happened. Nothing happened before you two, you know, broke up," the New Jersey native tried to reassure Chase.

Chase pressed her lips into a thin line. "Look, April, I'm going to be totally honest with you," April nodded. "I think...no, I know that you're lying. But it doesn't matter," Chase protested as April tried to interrupt her. "It doesn't matter because I have no control over what Nick does. I've got no right to be upset after what I put him through."

"But, Chase-"

"There is no but, April. Obviously the two of you are together right?" April nodded slowly. "Well, as long as you're happy then that's fine. Honestly, yeah, it stings a little knowing that Nick was sleeping with you while we were trying to make a go of things," April couldn't stop the blush that rose up through her neck and cheeks. "It doesn't say very much for his character," Chase added. "But he's a good guy, I know he is," she looked to the charm bracelet that was still secured around her wrist. "And I can't really be angry at him when I love someone else. I was less-than-honorable as well," she admitted, thinking about the kisses that she and John had shared at the Royal Rumble.

"I really like him," April admitted, one of those completely-madly-in-love smiles forming on her lips.

"Then make sure he knows it, April. Make sure you don't end up getting hurt. Because despite how good a guy Nick is, his morals are a little unscrupulous," Chase reached out to pat April's shoulder. "Have a good night," she smiled at the other woman before turning to make her way back to Punk. It felt good getting that off of her chest. She had had no intention of having a confrontation with April when she'd agreed to be Punk's date for the evening. But the other woman had obviously wanted to get something off of her own chest, despite her attempt at lying. April's heart was in the right place and Chase just prayed she didn't become a victim to Nick and his wayward ways. Although, Chase couldn't solely put the blame on Nick; after all it takes two to tango.

Gripping the front of her dress, Chase moved back across the room, fluidly moving between the the small gatherings of staff members, talent and families that were gathered throughout the room. A throat was cleared and Chase glanced to her left, her eyes meeting John's familiar blue ones. Chase pulled her lower lip into her mouth as she gazed at him. He wore a black suit with very faint white pinstripes running through it. A well-starched white shirt was beneath his suit jacket which was buttoned closed at the moment. A silky baby blue tie circled the collar of his shirt and disappeared beneath his suit jacket and his attire was completed by the spit-shined black shoes.

He took a step closer to her and Chase turned on the spot to fully face him. Her mouth became dry as her eyes flitted around the features on his face. Her mind boggled once again at how she could not have seen how attracted she was to this man, at how she didn't realise that she loved him.

"Hi," his deep voice moved over her like warm waves lapping at a shore. He dipped his head slightly so that his freshly shaved cheek was brushing against hers and his mouth was so close to her ear. "You look beautiful," John's hot breath surrounded her ear, causing Chase to shiver. He stood back, one of those cheeky smiles on his face as his eyes appraised her once more. The strapless dress she wore fitted her form perfectly. It was tight around her breasts; pushing them up so that his eyes were drawn to them, and around her waist, clinching it in perfectly. It began to flare out around her thighs and descended to the floor, covering up her toned legs. The dress stretched out at the bottom, forming a small train behind her as she walked; layers of lace, chiffon and tulle stretching out across the floor. The top half was a pale beige colour topped with a overlay of ebony lace which stopped around her mid thighs and the dress then became black from there down.

"Hello," Chase's voice was slightly shaky. "Where's your grandmother?" Chase tried to glance around the width of John's body but it proved difficult.

"She's over by the bar. I didn't want her getting overwhelmed with everybody," he slid hands into his trouser pockets.

"Oh," Chase's lips formed a round shape. "I'm sure she'll enjoy her night. I-I have to go."

"Wait, Chase," John reached out to cup her arm with his big hand. Chase trembled beneath him. She wanted to kiss him so badly but she knew how stupid that would be in the midst of the event where all of their colleagues were gathered. "I thought that you weren't coming tonight."

"Punk asked me to be his date," Chase tipped her head to the side to survey him closer.

"Did he now?" John replied, his voice a mix of curiosity and what seemed like a bit of anger.

"Yes, he did," Chase told him. "What? Did you think I'd just sit at home and cry into my pillow because you bailed on me, John?"

"Chase, I didn't...I don't..." he seemed unsure about how to form his sentence. Clearing his throat, John tried again, not used to being speechless around a woman. "Chase, you know that I wanted to bring you as my date. My God, I mean look at you, who wouldn't want you on their arm. I'm sorry about how things turned out but...but she's my grandmother, Chase. She's family."

"I know that. And I know how important family is," Chase's lower lip wobbled as she thought about Grace for the first time in weeks. "But that doesn't mean that I don't get to have a good time tonight too," Chase told him firmly. "I should get back to my date," she added, a stabbing feeling occurring in her gut when John's eyes fell slightly at the mention of Punk. Slowly reaching out, Chase took John's hand from where it was at his side and she squeezed his fingers. "I'll see you later," she smiled when he nodded at her and took a step closer to her once more, dipping his head again but this time to press his soft lips against her cheek.

"Later," he reaffirmed in her ear before he pulled back. Chase hitched her dress up and made her way back to Punk, slipping back into their little group before the ceremony began.

* * *

><p>Chase and Punk had been situated in the front the row for the Hall of Fame ceremony. All around them the fans had cheered for Punk as he'd emerged into the spotlights Chase's arm hooked into his once more. He'd smiled and lifted his hand to wave to them before they were shown their seats. Joining them in the front row was Randy and his wife Samantha, Nick and April and John and his grandmother, Mary. Across the space that had been created for walking, sat the McMahon family including Stephanie, Paul and their eldest daughter Aurora, Shane and his wife Marissa and of course, Vince and Linda.<p>

Chase had had to hold back her tears when WWE Legend Mick Foley was inducted into the Hall of Fame. It was bittersweet as she listened to him talking about his years with the business. He'd broken his body for his livelihood and he would never be the same again. But he didn't once speak of how damaged he was but only of how honored he was to have been given the chance to showcase his skills, make the memories he had made and to have worked with such great people in his long career. He received a standing ovation from the crowd gathered there, the majority dabbing their eyes to dry tears.

After the ceremony was over, all of the guests in attendance returned to the green room where drinks were handed out in abundance. Everybody was in high spirits and Chase found herself sipping from another flute of the fantastic tasting champagne she had enjoyed before the ceremony. The PA had it on good authority that the majority of the talent was heading downtown afterwards to truly celebrate in style. It was a night for morals to be thrown out of the window, for the women to let their hair down and the men to break their facades and for everyone to truly cherish being so lucky in their lives.

A club really wasn't Chase's idea of a good time - especially not in the gown she was wearing. Memories of her previous altercations when she filled herself with drink were brought to the forefront of her mind. She didn't need anybody seeing how out of control she got herself when she really let loose. She had already limited herself to just the two glasses of champagne - not wanting the strong alcoholic drink to go to her head. Instead, Chase had every intention of returning to her hotel room to get a good nights sleep. Tomorrow was a big day; both for the PA's and the superstars competing. She was going to need all of the rest she could get and a clear head to support John on his big night.

* * *

><p>Punk escorted her back to the hotel in their town car. Clubs weren't really his idea of a good time either. She knew it must take a strong will to live his lifestyle but she could definitely see the appeal in not touching any damaging substances. But even Chase knew that being straightedge wouldn't work for her - she wouldn't be able to cope without some painkillers on her bad week every month. The two stepped into the elevator together, Punk hitting 6 for his floor and Chase stabbing the 15 button for hers.<p>

"I can't believe you guys get to do this every year," Chase enthused, a smile on her face.

"You mean you didn't get bored?" Punk teased with a grin. "No, I mean, it's great being able to honor those that walked before us. But, we shouldn't forget about the ones that have missed out. So many people worked hard to make this business what it is today."

"You're so passionate about it. I think that's amazing," Chase regarded Punk with a whole new level of awe.

"Wrestling is all I've ever wanted to do. Aren't you passionate about something, Chase?" his eyebrows furrowed together. "Isn't there something out there that you could do for, like, 24 hours straight and just not stop? Just not want to stop!"

"Yes," she admitted, biting down on her bottom lip. "I could dance all day and night."

"Then why aren't you? Don't get me wrong, we all love having you around, some more than others," he grinned as he referred to her relationship with John. "But you can't let that hold you back, sweetheart. John is doing what he loves. What about you?"

The elevator came to a stop, the doors opening at level 6.

"This is me. Thanks for agreeing to be my date tonight, sugar, it was fun," Punk leaned over to press a warm kiss to her cheek. Chase embraced him, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"I had fun too. Thanks for asking me."

"Anytime," he winked and then he was gone and the doors were shutting once more, leaving Chase to ponder his words as she traveled to her own floor. Her mind was solely focused on her dancing, so much so that she failed to notice John leaning against the wall outside of their suite until she was standing in front of him.

"What are you doing out here?" Chase raised her eyebrows. "You've got a key to the suite."

He shrugged, lifting one of his shoulders. "I saw your car arriving. I wanted to wait for you."

"You did huh?" Chase grinned coyly, watching as he slipped a key card from his pocket and slid it into the reader. The light turned green with a beep and John pushed the door open.

"I did," he responded. "After you."

Gesturing with his hand, John motioned for Chase to go ahead of him. Chase stepped into the room, moving through towards the seating area. She flicked on a lamp which bathed the room in a warm glow. Slipping her large coat off, she draped it across the back of the sofa and threw her clutch down. John was behind her, his hands pressing to her bare shoulders.

"You looked beautiful tonight, Chase. I reckon you were the talk of the room."

Chase shook her head. "Don't be silly. I'm quite sure everybody had better things to talk about than me and what I was wearing."

"Mm, maybe but this dress is truly stunning," John told her, his eyes running the length of her back which he could now see was practically bare - the dress dipping low towards the bottom of Chase's spine. John licked his lips. Chase turned around, looking up at him, her dress tangling around her feet. He cupped her cheek, his thumb grazing across her cheekbone. Running a hand up his suit covered arm, Chase pressed her palm to the back of John's head, pulling him down to meet her. Their lips joined, rough and passionate, teasing and tasting and teeth nipping. John pressed his tongue inside of her mouth, his other arm curling around her waist to pull her closer against him, his palm flat against the flesh of her bare back. Chase released a moan but it was swallowed by John's kiss, his fingers reaching for the zip at the back of her dress. Slowly, he began to tug it down but all too soon he was pulling away, a knock on the door having interrupted them.

Chase frowned up at him as she wondered who was at the door. John stroked her back, rubbing his other hand over his face to remove any traces of the pale lipstick Chase had been wearing.

"I'll get it," a smile formed on his lips and he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

Chase nodded, gripping the back of the couch as he moved away to answer it. She heard the door open and an exclamation come from John. Muffled voices were next to reach her ears and Chase's frown deepened. She hiked her dress up and headed for the door, appearing quietly behind John.

"You didn't tell me you were coming," she heard John tell the guest who was at the door.

"It's the Hall of Fame, John," the other voice came. "You should have known I'd have been here!"

Icy cold fingers of dread crept up Chase's spine and she dropped the hem of her dress to instead wrap her arms around her body.

"John?" she cursed herself as her voice broke. He froze, turning to look at her, his movement revealing that it was Stephanie who was at the door. The former diva looked to Chase and then back to John.

"What's going on?" she asked, her red lips forming a thin line.

"Yes, John. What's going on?" Chase asked more firmly.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	27. Have Your Cake And Eat It Too

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and/or alerted and favourited this story up until now. I think you are all AMAZING and I just want to tell you how grateful I am to you. This story now has over 200 reviews which is amazing for me!

Thank to **Melilovesraw**,** StoryLover82**, **XmarX**, **smash07**, **1222mercedes1222**, **ThatGirl54**, **AngelMarie1226**, **sweetcandy apple** and **xXParieceXx **for leaving reviews. XxX

_**CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN**_

Chase tried to focus but it was hard when Stephanie was staring at her with bewilderment and John had that kicked puppy look on his face. His expression told her everything she needed to know but despite that she wanted to hear him say it.

"Chase-" he started but the blonde shook her head at him.

"I don't want to hear any excuses, John," she licked her lips. "I think that you owe me an explanation at least," she folded her arms across her chest.

"I think that maybe I should just go," Stephanie spoke, her voice cracking before she started to back out of the doorway.

"No, stay and listen. This should be good!" Chase raised an eyebrow at John as she waited on him explaining why Stephanie had shown up at the door when they had apparently broken up.

Stephanie stopped, a look of embarrassment and sheer horror on her face. She wanted an explanation too but this was just a little too confrontational for her. She had been thrust into this situation and now all she wanted to do was find a way out.

John rubbed his hands over his face, letting out a groan.

"I didn't want this to happen, I didn't intend for this to happen," John started.

"Go figure," Chase rolled her eyes, anger pulsating through her. Surprisingly she had managed to stop herself from tearing up. She had been through so much in the past few months that one more thing should have sent her over the edge but she was calm and composed and that shocked her a little.

"Chase!" John snapped. "Just let me explain."

"Go on. I'm waiting."

"Look, I tried okay? I tried to break things off between Stephanie and I but I just couldn't find the right words. I couldn't find the right time to explain to her how I was feeling."

"Are you serious?!" Stephanie exclaimed from the doorway. "You were going to break up with me?"

John turned to draw her a glare before he brought his eyes back to Chase.

"I know that you put your trust in me and I broke that and for that I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, Chase. I lo-"

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare say that to me! Not now, not after this," she pointed to Stephanie with her hand. "You know what I'm finding really hard to understand is how you couldn't do this one simple thing? You've had plenty of time, John. I broke things off with Nick, which trust me, wasn't easy. I did that so that we could be together because you said you didn't want to let me go."

"I don't want to let you go!" he insisted and stepped closer to her.

"Well then, you've got a damn funny way of showing it," Chase shook her head at him. "How could you string me along like this? How could you string both of us along like this?" Chase demanded. "Don't you understand that you can't play with people's feelings like this?"

"Chase, this wasn't meant to happen," John stepped closer again, reaching out towards her. His big hands cupped her face and she shook beneath his touch, trying to pull away. "I can fix this."

Jerking backwards, Chase rid herself of John's touch. An unattractive guffaw left her lips and she sneered at him.

"You should have fixed it before. You should have fixed it before you slept with me! I can't believe you're standing here trying to make things okay with me while Stephanie is standing by the door watching. It's like you have no shame!" Chase admonished and pushed past him. John grabbed her arm, curling his fingers around her soft skin.

"Please, don't go. Just give me a chance to make things right."

Chase wrenched her arm from his hand. "Don't touch me! You've had your fair share of chances to put things right," she headed for the door, picking up the hem of her dress as Stephanie stepped back to let her out. "You're welcome to him," she told the other woman before taking off down the hall, ignoring John calling out her name.

Knocking on the door to his hotel room, Chase just prayed that Punk hadn't fallen asleep. She knew he had trouble sleeping and spent a lot of his night reading comics but that didn't mean he liked his door being rattled in the middle of the night. She heard footsteps padding to the door and then it opened a crack and Punk poked his head around it. He squinted into the light, trying to make out her face.

"Chase? What's up?"

"C-Can I come in, please?" Chase felt her voice tremble for the first time all night. Her lower lip wobbled slightly and she bit down on it to try and stop it from shaking.

"Sure," Punk stepped back and allowed Chase to slip into his darkened room. "What's happened, sweetheart?"

* * *

><p>The water lapped around Chase's flesh, now chilled from the length of time she had spent curled up in the bathtub. Her thin arms were hooked around her legs which she had pulled up to her chest and she had placed her cheek against her knees, closing her eyes to try and relax in the silence of the bathroom. But there was no relaxing. All she could picture was John's face when he'd opened the door and Stephanie was there and his face when he'd tried to explain to her how he hadn't told Stephanie. It was a complete stab in the back. Chase had trusted him. And he'd walked all over her.<p>

"Chase?" Punk knocked softly on the door. "Are you okay? You've been in there a while, sugar. That water must be freezing by now."

Punk's words seemed to snap Chase out of her slump and she lifted her head and unfurled her limbs.

"I'm just getting out," her voice was weak and quiet as she replied.

Lifting herself out of the bath, Chase pulled the plug and then quickly used a towel to pat herself dry. Pulling on the clothes that Punk had loaned her - a large black hoodie and pair of clean boxer shorts, she found that they were huge on her. The cuffs of the hoodie came down well past her fingertips and the hem almost covered the boxers she wore too. She ran a comb she found at the sink through her hair, brushing out the hairspray that had been used to hold her chignon in place earlier that night.

She opened the bathroom door and stepped into the room after flicking the light off. Punk was sitting with his legs folded together on the bed. With just a short sleeved shirt and a pair of basketball shorts on, Chase was afforded quite a good look at his multitude of tattoos. The blonde stood by the bathroom door, fiddling with the cuffs of the hoodie and unsure of what to do.

Punk patted the bed beside him and Chase slowly wandered over and sat down. The TV was playing in the background but Punk had muted it so that it wouldn't distract him. He pulled Chase closer, scooping her legs up so that they were draped across his own.

"I didn't know where else to go," Chase was the first one to speak, laying the side of her head against the space between his arm and shoulder. Punk curled one arm around her shoulders, playing gently with a lock of her hair.

"You know you can always come to me, Chase," he told her, gently brushing his lips across her forehead. "Tell me what happened."

Chase sucked her lower lip into her mouth before she spoke. "You said he loved me. You all said he loved me," her voice wobbled but she forced herself to continue. "I gave everything up for him, Punk. I left the only home I've ever known, I left my friends, I came on this tour with strangers. I even broke up with Nick for him. I done it all because I love him. Was it too much to ask that he show me the same courtesy?" she sniffed.

Punk hand was pressed against her head and his other hand gently smoothed up and down her calf, comforting her.

"He didn't break up with Steph?" Punk asked but he already knew the answer.

"No, he didn't break up with her. He's been fooling me this whole time. She's here. She came to the door. And he had no choice but to try and explain. Can you believe he actually tried to tell me that he loved me while she was standing there?!" Chase exclaimed, unable to contain her shock.

Punk ran his nose through her hair as he held her close.

"Sounds like Johnboy and I need a chat," he murmured. "I'm so sorry he hurt you, angel."

"It's not your fault," Chase felt a lone tear escape her eye and run down one cheek. "I shouldn't be burdening you with all this crap, the last thing you need to hear about is my sad excuse for a love life. But I just didn't know where else to go."

Punk tipped her face up to his so that he could look into her eyes.

"Don't be so stupid. I'm your friend, that's what I'm here for. Now put that asshole out of your head and lay down and get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	28. A Clean Break

_**A/N:**_ A big thank you to **ThatGirl54**, **1222mercedes1222**, **Suicide-Blonde13**, **lilywhite25** and **StoryLover82** for leaving reviews. XxX

_**CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT**_

"You better be right about this, Nattie," Chase warned the other blonde who stood slightly behind her. Slipping the keycard into the lock, Chase hesitantly pushed the door open with the toe of her shoe as the light turned green. Nattie had assured her that she had seen John leave for the gym already and Chase desperately needed access to the suite they were supposed to be sharing.

"He went downstairs about ten minutes ago, Chase," Nattie hissed as she pushed Chase inside of the room. "You know his schedule better than anybody. He won't be back for like another..."

"52 minutes and 25 seconds," Chase cut in, knowing John's schedule like the back of her hand. "What?" she asked as Nattie looked to her curiously. "It's ingrained in my brain," she shrugged, heading for her portion of the suite. The huge double bed was still made - not having received much use in the week that they had been in New York - but her suitcase was still stored by the door to that section of the room. Grabbing the handle, Chase lifted it onto the bed. Unzipping it, she quickly grabbed anything she could see that was hers from the dressing table and put it in the case. She needed to make a prompt exit and the last thing she wanted was an unexpected run-in with John - she wasn't ready to speak to him yet.

"Hurry up!" Nattie part-yelled, part-whispered from the living area. "You don't want to be here on the off-chance that he might just not feel up to a work out this morning do you?"

"I'm almost done," Chase replied as she picked up the two clutches she had removed from her case last night before picking the one she had ultimately used. Zipping up the case, Chase moved through to the living area, picking up her clutch that she had thrown down the night before along with the large black coat she had worn. Removing her key-card from the clutch, Chase set it down on the coffee table in plain sight. "I'm ready to go."

Nattie looked to her, a sympathetic smile on her lips. She felt truly sorry for Chase. It wasn't easy being a girl in this business or traveling with all the guys but Chase seemed to dig her heels in and she got on pretty well with everyone. It wasn't fair that John had done what he had. Nattie wanted to ring his neck, she wanted to storm up to him and give him a good piece of her mind. But her concern was better served making sure that Chase was alright and not doing anything to further upset her friend. Chase and John had to sort out their own problems.

As the two girls made their way back down the corridor without any unwanted interruptions, Chase passed Nattie the key-card they had used to get into the room.

"Take this back to reception for me, Nattie, please?" she asked. "I don't want to run into John."

Nattie nodded. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get changed and then I need to get to work. I have some things to take care of," Chase smiled almost slyly.

* * *

><p>Chase entered the MetLife Stadium through the back security entrance. Fans had already started lining the outer edge of the arena, arriving early in order to get ahead of the crowds. T-shirt and merchandise stalls had been popped up sporadically around the circumference of the stadium along with food stalls as well. There was a buzz in the air - even Chase could feel it.<p>

She thanked the guards by the door and then continued on her way down the corridor, her destination set in mind. She had no time to waste. It was barely mid-afternoon and most of the main-event superstars wouldn't be arriving for about an hour to an hour and a half yet. Today was a huge press day for the company and Vince McMahon had them all out spreading the word about the night that was to come.

Chase was certainly glad about the fact that John was out on the press circuit right now. She knew she seemed like a coward but she just wasn't ready to speak to him. It was going to be hard enough anyway but she needed to let herself heal a little bit from the blow she had gotten the night before. She only hoped beyond anything else that Stephanie didn't have the audacity to be at the arena that night.

The blonde was on her way to drop off her bags at Punk's locker room when she ran into the one person she hadn't expected to see this early in the evening.

"Miss Chalmers!" Mr McMahon both frowned and exclaimed when he seen her. "I expected you to be with Mr Cena on his press rounds."

Chase nervously licked her lips.

"Mr McMahon! How nice to see you," she smiled at him warmly. "You're actually the one person I was looking to speak with. If you've got a few moments to spare I would be grateful, Sir."

"Two minutes, Miss Chalmers. I'm a busy man," he told her, shoving his hands into the pockets of his designer suit trousers.

"Here?" Chase practically squeaked, glancing around the corridors of the arena where tech staff and backstage workers were hustling to set up equipment for the show.

"Yes," he drew the word out. "Unless you have somewhere better? Bear in mind, your time is running out!"

Chase felt under pressure and she struggled to get her words together when a man sporting a headset around the back of his head interrupted them, signalling to Vince that he needed him to sign something. Vince complied and glanced through the paperwork, signing away.

"Well, with all do respect, Sir, if I only have two minutes I would like you're full attention!" Chase couldn't help the small note of anger in her voice.

Vince glanced up at her, quirking an eyebrow in curiosity. Not many people around the business had the gall to stand up to him or give him even the slightest amount of cheek. Chase had done so but she had kept herself respectful at the same time, something he appreciated.

"Go on, Miss Chalmers, I'm listening," he dismissed the member of his staff with the forms in his hands.

"Thank you. First of all, I want to thank you for the opportunity to be John's PA. But things aren't working out and I would like you to approve a transfer."

"A transfer? I'm not quite sure I follow?"

"I want to be CM Punk's new personal assistant. Look, I know that this sounds strange to you and you might think me a stupid, naive girl with nothing to show for myself but I know my job, Mr McMahon. At the beginning I might not always have been confident in my abilities but I am more so now. I know what it takes to do this job and I know that I am damn well good at it. I would really appreciate it if you would approve a new contract."

Vince tightened his mouth and lifted one hand to his face, slowly circling his mouth with his finger.

"Miss Chalmers, I do not run a daycare center. I don't mollycoddle my employees and nor do I really care about their personal lives as long as it doesn't interfere with my show. If things between yourself and Mr Cena aren't working out then sort it out. Don't come crying to me!"

"I'm not!" Chase insisted, her voice rising slightly. "Whilst you're right about things not being good between myself and John, those problems are of a private matter and I can assure you that should I continue to be his personal assistant then it will start to interfere with your business. I cannot work with him right now, I just can't! But if you allow me to take over the reigns on Punk's schedule, I can assure you that his appearances and his day-to-day life within the business will run far more smoothly."

"How can I guarantee that? Punk has a perfectly good PA working with him right now."

"Don't make me laugh, Sir. Punk isn't one who takes authority well, you and I both know that. He doesn't like being told what to do or what to wear or who to be seen with. He won't be told how to live his life. He doesn't compromise himself for anyone. He runs on his own time schedule. He doesn't listen to his PA and she is stressed out by working in such close proximity with him."

"And how do I know that you won't be too?"

"Because I am his friend. I know how to take him. I know how to speak to him. I know how to handle him. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

Vince seemed to consider her words for a moment or two whilst Chase felt like she was on the edge of her seat. She knew the move was rash and that she might regret it later but she needed a clean break from John Cena. She needed time to get over what he had done and working with him in such a close environment was not going to allow her the time she needed.

"Fine, Miss Chalmers. I will allow you to take over as Punk's PA on one condition. You will be the one who let's Mr Cena know why you won't be assisting him any longer!" Vince told her before his mouth tightened once more and he was strutting off down the corridor.

* * *

><p>Chase stood by the gorilla position. She was feeling warm under the soft cashmere of the pale pink buttoned up cardigan she wore as she watched the end of John's match on the screen. He had just picked up a massive win against The Rock for the title. Chase was happy for him but she could feel tears appearing at the corners of her eyes. It felt like the Royal Rumble all over again.<p>

"C'mon, let's get out of here," Punk said from behind her. "We got an early rise tomorrow right, boss?" he grinned at her.

"Yes, we do," Chase smirked, hooking her arm through his. "I'm sorry that you didn't win your match tonight, Punk," Chase added.

"Hey, it's cool. I wasn't going out there to win. I'd never want to be the one who took away Mark's legacy. He did try, he's been at me for months, trying to talk me into ending it. But I got too much respect for that guy. He's been a leader in this business for years, I think it's only fitting that he retire with his legacy intact."

"How noble of you," Chase squeezed his arm and rolled her eyes. "It was a good match though."

"Just good," Punk teased her. "I'd say it was the best of the night."

"You would say that. And while I would love to, you know that I can't say that," she told him with a sad face as she thought about John winning the title. "For me, his was the biggest achievement of the night. I'm so proud of him despite how much hurt he's caused me."

"Are you sure that you don't want to stay and talk to him, Chase? I'm sure he'd really like to speak to you."

"You know how I feel about that right now. I can't face him, it's all too much to deal with."

"Fine by me. You just say the word and I'll handle things. But just so you know, I am going to have my chance to say my peace too."

Chase raised her eyebrows, her lips forming a thin line. "I'd really like it if you did it in a professional manner with as little witnesses as possible. I don't want my dirty laundry aired out for everyone to see."

"Cool, no witnesses. That means I can inflict as much pain as physically possible," a salacious smirk curled Punk's thin lips.

"Oh shut up," Chase grinned. "The only person who'll be inflicting pain around here is me if you don't get your ass up early in the morning."

* * *

><p>Chase rolled over, the sound of a constant thumping bringing her out of her sleep. She groaned and pushed herself onto one elbow, her blonde hair draping down over her bare shoulder. She heard footsteps cross the room and then the door was yanked open.<p>

"What the hell do you want?!" Punk fumed to the person at the other side of the door. "Don't you ever fucking sleep?!"

"Is she here, Punk? Let me speak to her, please."

Chase's breath hitched in her throat as she heard John's voice. He sounded...broken? Maybe a little lost, she couldn't be too sure.

"She's fucking sleeping, Cena. It's 3 am. Though, if you've got anything to do with it then I'm sure she'll be awake from all the god damn thumping you were doing on the door."

"Look, I don't need this bullshit, Punk. Just let me talk to Chase."

Chase listened intently as John tried to force Punk to let him in. Her heart was beating quite heavily in her chest and she felt her breaths begin to come quicker as her palms moistened.

"Look, Johnboy, even if she was awake, she doesn't want to speak to you. She's made that perfectly clear. She can't handle what happened and she shouldn't fucking have to. What the hell were you thinking? How could you do this to her? You told me you loved her!"

"I do love her. I do. I don't know what I was thinking. I just didn't want to hurt Stephanie."

"So you hurt Chase instead. You're just a poor excuse for a man, Johnboy. You are a gutless wonder, you know that? If you had fucking brains then you'd be dangerous, man. I mean, really, after how far you and Chase have come and then you just spit in her face. Because that's what that was, you spat in her face, Cena! You walked all over her and treated her like some of those two-bit tramps that Orton used to dip into. You done a real number on her, man and you've got a whole lot of sorry's to say."

"I know that. I just want to talk to her and tell her how sorry I am. Let me see her, please?"

"She won't see you. And I'm not waking her up just to ask her. Just leave her alone, John and when she's ready then she'll come and see you. Seriously, just trust me," Chase heard Punk tell him. "You know, you're brave coming to this door. You're lucky I don't punch your lights out for treating Chase like crap, man. You're my best friend on the road, dude, but what you did was really low."

"I know. I know. Can you just tell her that I was here and that I'm sorry? I'd really appreciate it."

"Whatever, man. But don't expect anything from her soon. She's still trying to get her head around it."

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	29. When It All Falls Down

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **XmarX**, **ThatGirl54**, **StoryLover82**, **1222mercedes1222**, **AngelMarie1226** for leaving reviews. Enjoy XxX

_**CHAPTER TWENTY NINE**_

A heavy breath whooshed from Chase's lips and she steadied her hand as she knocked on the door. Licking her lips slowly, she smoothed her clammy palms down the front of her dark, inky blue jeans. She waited patiently for a few deathly silent moments before John pulled the door open from the other side. He stood with his arms wide in the frame, one hand pressed against the mount and the other on the door.

"Chase," he spoke softly, the lower pitch of his voice clashing with the smile he couldn't fight at seeing her. He'd been hoping so much that she would come and see him, it had been killing him not being able to talk to her and explain his actions. John had never really found himself in this sort of position - women usually chased him, not the other way around. But here he found himself going after Chase because he wanted to be with her, despite everything in the world wanting to perpetually keep them apart.

"Hello," her voice cracked softly as she greeted him. "I was wondering if you had a few moments to speak?" she added rather formally.

On instinct, John leaned forward to try and press a kiss to her cheek but she moved her head at the last moment and his lips barely brushed her skin.

"I'm not here to kiss and make up, John," Chase told him sternly.

John froze, his lips hovering near Chase's cheek before he pulled back.

"Come in, please," he replied sullenly, taking a step back and allowing Chase to step into the hotel suite he had been put in. "I saw that you'd picked up your things. You didn't have to break in when I was at the gym."

"You never could resist a joke could you?" Chase glared in his direction, clucking her tongue as he followed her into the living area. "I came to deliver a message to you," Chase swiftly changed the subject to the topic she had come to discuss, turning back to face him.

"A message?" John raised his lightly coloured eyebrows at her. "What sort of message?" he held his big arms out to the side as he shrugged. "And here I thought that you'd come to talk," he added slightly sarcastically.

"As of this morning," Chase ignored him and fished into her handbag to retrieve the documents which had been left behind the front desk for her. "Mr McMahon has officially confirmed the transfer that I requested from him. Therefore, I'm here to hold up my end of the bargain."

John took the stapled slips of paper that Chase was holding out to him. He quickly flicked through the documents, his grip tightening around the corner as he realized the implications of her words.

"You're no longer my personal assistant," his teeth clenched so tightly that Chase could hear them grinding. "You are now under the watchful eye of CM Punk," Chase noticed a slight tick forming near John's jugular. He ran the palm of his hand down his face. "Or should I say that he is under your watchful eye?" he asked rhetorically. "So you made a deal with Vince that he would give you the transfer if what? If you told me yourself? Is that it?" John looked to at her.

"That's it," Chase nodded, clasping her hands together. "He insisted on me letting you know in person. I'm not sure what his reasons were but I've let you know. So to call attention back to your previous statement, yes, I did pick up my things. I didn't "break in" while you were at the gym, I just figured that it would make things a lot more easier."

"Easier for who, Chase? For you, you mean? Because then you didn't need to face me for more than two measly minutes. You've not spoken to me in nearly a week and then you walk in here and hand me this piece of shit contract and then waltz out the door. Well you've done your job, Chase! There's the door!"

John threw the contract to the floor in anger and started away from her, heading for the mini-kitchen on the other side of the living area. He reached into the small fridge and retrieved a bottle of water, slamming the door before opening the water up to take a gulp.

"Wait a minute! Hold on, John, you cheated on me!" Chase rounded the sofa. "You're the one who got us into this God forsaken mess and you expect me to be the one who says sorry? I hate to burst your bubble but that is not going to happen!"

"I didn't cheat on you!" John insisted, slamming his fist down against the kitchenette counter.

"Oh so you weren't conveniently still fucking Stephanie while you and I were having sex?" Chase angrily demanded. "I'm the one who got hurt in this! Don't you make it out that you're the injured party!"

"I'm not saying that I didn't hurt you. I know that I hurt you, Chase, but I am really sorry. I don't even think I can begin to explain what was going on in my head," John ran a hand over the top of his sheared head. "And I really don't expect you to understand but I-"

"Then what do you want from me? If you can't expect me to understand then what is it that you expect of me? You want me to overlook this little slip? Maybe I can. But what about the next one and the next one after that? Once a cheater, always a cheater, John," Chase declared.

"There was no slip, Chase! It was a simple, stupid decision. Stephanie and I are over," he sighed. "We were over a long time ago. I should never have started a relationship, not when I was in love with you. And nothing else will ever happen while I am still in love with you."

Snorting, Chase shook her head.

"You know you're right about one thing, you should never have started a relationship, John. You should never have started ours!" Chase pointed her finger at him. "You shouldn't have kissed me! You shouldn't have told me that you didn't want to let me go and you should never have damn well told me that you loved me!" Chase felt her voice crack with emotion. Her eyes began to tear up and she tried to hold it together but she was failing miserably. "Because now I can't unsee it or unhear it or unfeel it!. You can't take it back and I can't forget it and it's not fair. You've ruined everything. I hate what you've done. I. Hate. You!"

John was stunned into silence by Chase's speech. He hadn't expected her to say anything of the sort and he felt a stabbing in his chest when she said she hated him.

"Y-you don't hate me," he stammered slightly. "I know that you don't," John continued more confidently. "Those are just words, Chase, and you don't mean them."

"No, I don't," she wiped her face with her fingertips, swiping away the tears. "But I really wish I did. I wish that I could hate you because I would feel a whole lot better. I gave up everything for you; my friends, the only home I've ever known, my job, my life. I gave up my life so that I could make yours better. I catered to your every need and whim, John. I came on the road with this company not knowing a single person other than you. I didn't know what I was doing and I knew that I was in way over my head but I believed you when you said that I could do this. And I now know that I can! But it doesn't change the fact that you've broken my heart. I'm the other woman - that is what you've made me into. And for that, for that alone you deserve all the hate in the world," Chase stooped to pick up the contract that John had tossed to the floor. "This is a copy of the termination of my contract as your personal assistant. I signed it. You do whatever you want with it. But-"

"Chase, c'mon, please don't do this," John tried to reason with her.

"I have to. In the near future, John, all of our communicating with be through your new PA; one I assume with be appointed by Mr-"

Chase was cut off abruptly by the door to the hotel room being swung open. She froze, mid-sentence and both she and John turned to see who was coming in. Randy stepped through the frame, his eyes widening when he realised what he was interrupting.

"Shit, sorry, I'll just-"

"No! I was just leaving," Chase cut in. She looked to John whose eyes were pleading with her to stay and finish talking out what had happened. With a shaky breath, she took a step back and then another one and turned to the door, passing Randy on the way out.

Randy watched her head down the corridor, shoulders stooped.

"What happened?" he turned to John. "I take it from the swift exit she made that you screwed things up even more?" he stepped into the room, shutting the door over.

"Piss off, Randy!" John growled. "I don't need any of your bullshit right now!"

"What the fuck did I do?" Randy growled back, just as menacingly, blue eyes like ice.

"You're the one who got me into this fucking mess. You told me to keep my options open!"

Randy reeled back, shaking his head. His tongue darted out to wet his lips and he curled his lips back in anger.

"Oh no, you're not pushing the blame onto me, dude. I told you to be careful in case Chase changed her mind. She's younger than you and you've already been married. She might not be ready for the commitment you're looking for. But not once did I tell you to go between Stephanie and Chase. I just didn't want to see you getting hurt again."

John leaned his elbows onto the counter where he stood, face in his hands. He let out an almighty groan.

"I really fucked things up didn't I?" his eyes were stinging from lack of sleep as he rubbed them.

"Yes!" Randy hissed. "You better find a way to make things up to that girl."

"Why are you so concerned about Chase all of a sudden?" John looked up to his best friend.

Randy shrugged, running a hand across his sheared head. "A guy can be wrong right? It's not often that I admit that but maybe I judged her a little too quickly. As long as you're happy, man, then I'm cool with whoever you're with. But you've got some ass kissing to do if you ever want back in her good graces. And I suggest you get started on that pretty quickly," Randy reached across to scoop up his iPhone which was charging on the counter. "Anyway, I'm out of here. I'm taking Sam and Alanna to the airport."

"Cool," John uttered lowly. "See you later."

Randy simply grunted in reply on the way out of the door, leaving John to his thoughts.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	30. What Goes Around

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **ThatGirl54**, **XmarX**, **1222mercedes1222**, **StoryLover82**, **AngelMarie1226** for reviewing the last chapter. XxX

_**CHAPTER THIRTY**_

"Maybe it's karma?" Chase inquired as she ran on the treadmill. She exhaled a breath from pursed lips and then cranked the speed up on the treadmill in the hotel gym.

"Fucking hell, Chase!" Punk exclaimed from the treadmill next to hers. "What is wrong with you?"

Hitting the emergency stop on her treadmill, Chase slowed to a walk and then stopped, turning to face Punk, her hands resting against the side of the machine she was standing on.

"What do you mean? I'm being serious!" she insisted. "What if it's karma for what happened between Nick and I? You know, I hurt him too. So maybe this is some sort of God-given payback?"

Punk stopped his own treadmill and turned to face her, his face marred with a frown.

"Do you know how much I actually want to wring your neck right now?" he narrowed his eyes at her. "It's not fucking karma, Chase! Nick is with April now so you obviously didn't hurt him that much. The ink was barely dry from your break up when he started banging her. So get it out of your head that this is some way-of-the-world revenge because it's not. John was just being a stupid fuck and he screwed up. It's not your fault."

Chase cocked her head to the side, taking in Punk's words for a moment.

"But-"

"But nothing!" he cried exasperatedly, throwing his hands in the air. He stepped off the treadmill and Chase swiveled on hers to face him. "Just get it out of your head that you done something wrong. It was Johnboy who fucked up. Not you!" Punk whipped a towel up off the bench and dabbed his forehead. "Now would you kindly do me a favour and get your ass over to the ring so we can spar?"

* * *

><p>A burly security guard granted Punk and Chase entrance to the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC.<p>

"So you've got your interview with Josh tonight and then we can head back to the hotel unless you've got other plans?" Punk shook his head as he walked side-by-side with Chase down the corridors of the arena. "Tomorrow morning we've got an early flight out to Tennessee. As soon as we arrive there you've got an interview with-"

"Miss Chalmers?" Chase was interrupted, her speech cut off mid-sentence by a backstage crew member who had approached the two of them. "I was asked to deliver these to you," he placed a huge bunch of pale pink roses into Chase's arms.

Flabbergasted, Chase could do nothing but take the flowers, her eyes darting between the backstage worker and Punk. She could barely see over the top of the blooms and struggled to bind her arms around the width of the stems, secured together with a white satin ribbon.

"Where did these come from?" she asked astounded as she pushed the head of a rose aside so she could speak.

The backstage worker shrugged. "I was just told to pass them to you as soon as you got here. There might be a card," he added and then disappeared down the hallway in the direction he had appeared from.

Chase glanced to Punk who had a sort of knowing grin spread across his face.

"What?" Chase demanded. "What's that look for?" she asked as she attempted to balance the flowers and the two bags she was carrying. They continued on their walk down the corridor.

"What look?" Punk acted innocent, glancing back over his shoulder to her. "You want a hand?"

"No, I'm good," Chase insisted, finally able to successfully carry the items in her arms. "Just tell me why you were grinning like a kid with candy?"

He shrugged. "No reason. It's just that they're obviously from John," he stopped, his hazel eyes meeting Chase's. "He's clearly trying to apologise for being a complete ass."

Chase opened and closed her mouth a few times, gawking at him. There was no way John would do something so ridiculous. And if he did surely he didn't think flowers were going to sort out the issues between them?

Gripping the flowers tighter, Chase was never more thankful that April picked that moment as the perfect time to stroll past them.

"Ooh, gorgeous flowers," she beamed at Chase.

"You think?" Chase asked and April nodded in her overly-enthusiastic way. "Great. Here you go," Chase thrust the flowers in her direction, managing to discreetly swipe the card that was nestled within the stems.

"Oh no. I couldn't," April tried to push the flowers back at Chase.

"I insist. I hate roses," Chase wrinkled her nose in disgust at the flowers. "If you don't take them I'll just put them in the trash. It'll be a waste."

"Oh well, I mean, if you're going to just bin them then I guess I could take them," the smaller girl wrapped her arms around the significant width of the stems and cradled them in her arms. "Thanks, Chase!"

"Don't mention it," Chase chirped and then headed on down the corridor, past Punk, who again had that knowing smile on his face as he followed behind her to his locker room.

* * *

><p>Chase thumbed the card as she sat in a quiet corner of catering. Punk had gone and gotten ready for his interview with Josh and was at that present moment filming the backstage segment. The creamy card felt thick and smooth between her fingers - glossy on the front but soft on the back - it was the same shade of the silky ribbon which had secured the stems of the roses. The roses had been gorgeous just like April had said but there was no way Chase could accept them. If she was seen to accept his apology based on a few flowers then what else would she be seen to be accepting. If she didn't stand up for herself then she would fall all over again and she just didn't think she could take being hurt again.<p>

Her mouth grew dry as she continued to stare at the little piece of stationary in her hand. Chewing on the inside of her lower lip, Chase flicked the front of the card back. Inside was a simple fancy J scrawled with a small x below it. Her eyes teared up as she failed to regain her composure before crumpling the fancy card in her hand and scrunching it up.

John was just trying to play games with her head. He was making this so hard for her. Why couldn't he just admit that he had fucked up and it was his fault? How difficult was that? But instead he was trying to come up with pointless excuses and making Chase feel like she was the root of what had happened. She continuously felt guilty for what had happened. She had kissed him knowing that he was still with Stephanie - had that been some foundation for what had happened? What goes around comes around and all that jazz.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	31. Swallow Down All My Pride

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **ThatGirl54** and **xXParieceXx** for leaving reviews. Enjoy XxX

_**CHAPTER THIRTY ONE**_

Everything had been going pretty smoothly. Chase had been Punk's PA for around 3 weeks now and she'd gotten a grip of his schedule far easier than she had John's. The main reason for that was that she knew what she was doing now. At the time she started out as John's PA, she was flying blind, unsure of what to do. And now that she knew the ins and outs of the business, it was all flowing nicely.

Punk had a pretty simple schedule.

He didn't tend to socialise with any of the roster because he didn't drink. He spent the majority of his time catching up with TV shows; mostly The Walking Dead and American Horror Story. He often traveled back to Chicago for a day or two during the week, enjoying some down time away from the constant moving around on the road. He didn't have many sponsorship campaigns like John but he always had an interview or a signing to get to; something that Chase ensured he made it to on time. Punctuality was the main key in how Chase handled her superstar's schedule - she didn't like being late for anything and always liked to make an impression much to Punk's chagrin. If he had his way, he'd fall out of bed, grab a shower and throw on a pair of jeans and a shirt and roll up for his interview with 5 minutes to spare.

The fact that they usually worked out together made her time with him a whole lot easier too. It meant she wasn't constantly having to tail him and find out his whereabouts because he was always hanging around near her. Being with Punk as his PA was the most laid back Chase had felt in such a long time. She felt no pressure and she truly enjoyed spending time with him. He was a funny guy and she felt no remorse whatsoever as she watched him take the piss out of some of the other guys around them.

Things had gotten slightly easier with John. It was safe to say that there had been no more bunches of flowers delivered. Chase sometimes wondered if he had seen April stalking about with the roses and she often found herself imagining the look on his face but she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. He kept his distance and that kept Chase happy.

* * *

><p>It was a warm Monday afternoon when Chase finally came face-to-face with John's new PA. The roster was currently in Kansas City for the taping of Raw and Chase guessed that it had taken a few weeks for Mr McMahon to find the right person. The brunette girl was hanging nervously around the catering area of the arena, her eyes darting back and forth over the superstars who were gathered inside. She looked to them and then to the spread that had been set up for them to eat and then back to the talent once more. Chase had noticed her almost immediately as soon as she had come in - long warm chestnut hair that brushed against her stomach and back, matching brown eyes and naturally tanned skin. She wore a pair of black ill fitting slacks, a white blouse and black flat shoes. Her face was unmarked and she wore a pair of thick black rimmed glasses.<p>

Chase was out of her seat before she could second guess herself and she had approached the girl.

"Hi there," Chase smiled at her. "You're looking a little lost, honey. Are you alright?" The brunette's eyes met hers, fear lodged in them. She licked her lips quickly and then squeaked something that Chase couldn't make out. "I won't bite," Chase added to try and loosen her up.

"I'm sorry," the girl said softly. "I'm just nervous. My name's Chloe," she stuck her hand out to Chase.

"I'm Chase," Chase grinned at her, scooping a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear with her other hand. "I'm CM Punk's personal assistant," she elaborated.

"O-okay," Chloe breathed out. "I'm J-John Cena's new personal assistant. This is my first day on the job and I am really scared. I mean, I know what I'm doing because I've just spent four years at school doing this but now that I'm actually in the environment and I'm here amongst everybody, I think that-"

"Whoa, sweetie, slow down," Chase encouraged her, rubbing Chloe's shoulders with her hands. "Take a breath," she inhaled and exhaled along with Chloe. "We'll get you through this. You're lucky, you know," Chase told her. "When I started here I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know my ass from my elbow so you've got one up on me, Chloe."

"Really?"

"Really," Chase chuckled as she remembered her first day as John's PA. "So what's brought you to catering then?"

"Well, J-John...I mean Mr Cena said that he wanted something to snack on before his match."

"Well, I'll stop you there," Chase spoke. "John doesn't eat before a match. Ever. He usually has an energy drink to get his sugar up and that's it. So if he sent you here then he's probably testing you a little," Chase led Chloe over to the food tables. She whipped up four of the energy drinks that John liked before his match. "Correct me if I'm wrong but I am assuming that he is sharing his locker room with Ryan, Bryan and Randy?"

Chloe's eyes widened a little. "I'm not so sure of their names yet but there was another three guys there too."

"Okay, take these," she placed the drinks into Chloe's hands. "They'll all have one each. And take this for Bryan," she handed Chloe a shiny green apple from a tray on the table."

"Which one is Bryan?" Chloe furrowed her eyebrows.

"Smaller of the four, scruffy facial hair," Chase rhymed off a few traits about him.

"Scruffy facial hair, got it," Chloe nodded. "Thank you for doing this, it was really nice of you. I'm not sure where I'd have been without your help, Chase. But if you don't mind me asking how do you know all of this?"

Chase chewed on her lower lip. She debated internally about whether to tell Chloe that she used to be John's PA. But she knew that telling this seemingly sweet young woman about her and John would only bring up other questions that she didn't really want to answer right now.

"When you work around here, you hear things," Chase shrugged. "Good luck though. You know where to find me if you need anything," she patted Chloe's shoulder and then walked away, retaking her seat next to Nattie and Celeste.

"You didn't just do what I think you did, did you?" Celeste asked as she glanced across her shoulder to the new brunette haired girl. Chloe's eyes darted about for a few more seconds before she left catering, presumably heading back to John's locker room.

"What?" Chase asked innocently, taking a bite of some of the crispy lettuce that was on her plate. "I only gave her a few pointers. She seemed lost."

"And so were you when you first got here, Chase," Nattie told her. "And you had to help yourself."

"Not really," Chase shook her head. "I had John. And I had you guys. I made friends easily but I think that had to do with John for the most part. He has a big influence around here and by the looks of that girl, she'll be chewed up and spat out faster than she knows what has hit her. She was clearly terrified, Nattie. She needed help."

"Are you so sure about that?" Nattie asked. "Or did you just feel the need to get involved with John in someway again?"

She sighed. "I think that's a bit below the belt."

"We're just worried about you, babe," Celeste told her, reaching across to pat Chase's hand. "You've been through a whirlwind since you got here and there's clearly no sign of it slowing down. You were the one that got Mr McMahon to transfer you over to being Punk's PA. You said that was the right decision for you, sweetie. And now you're off giving advice to John's new PA. Maybe you're not so as over him as you think?"

"I never said I was over him," Chase blurted out before she could stop herself. A low groan left her lips as she saw her two friends smile in that knowing way. "You both know that I'm not over him. But I can't just sweep it all under the carpet and pretend it never happened. He hurt me badly. It doesn't just go away."

"We know," Nattie patted her other hand. "But why are you involving yourself with him then? Don't you want to keep your distance?"

"I'm trying," Chase confessed. "But it's not as easy as you'd think. John Cena isn't very easy to just forget."

Deep down Chase knew that she would never be fully over John and she honestly didn't even know if she ever wanted to be. She loved him. She loved everything about him no matter how much he had hurt her. And there was no denying that she did want to be with him but she was just trying to protect herself.

She hoped that Chloe didn't let him intimidate her. The young girl was nervous and scared and unsure of what she was doing and John was sending her on wild goose chases just for kicks. It didn't sound like him but then he'd been surprising Chase a lot with his antics lately.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	32. The Struggles I'm Facing

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **1222mercedes1222**, **ThatGirl54**, **xXParieceXx **and **AngelMarie1226** for leaving reviews.

_**CHAPTER THIRTY TWO**_

Chase let out a deep sated sigh as she sat on the sofa in her hotel room. Punk had gone back to Chicago for a few days and so the PA was left on the road by herself, traveling with the rest of the roster from city to city. It was 3 am and she couldn't sleep - so she was currently typing up Punk's schedule for the next 4 weeks. Chase wasn't normally a fitful sleep but the previous few weeks had left her with a inability to shut off.

Shoving her laptop aside, Chase let her head fall back against the plump cushions of the hotel sofa. Her eyes were stinging from lack of sleep and she felt physically exhausted. Rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands, she sat forward and scooped her Blackberry up from the table in front of her. Her fingers moved over the keypad, typing out a message. She hovered her thumb over the send button, John's name in the contact box. It was times like these - dead in the middle of the night and when she couldn't sleep - that she thought about texting him or calling him. Hell, she even thought about just going down to his room. But her pride got in the way and she always chickened out. Deleting the message, Chase threw her phone down and decided that she would try and get a few hours sleep, even just enough to ward off total exhaustion.

* * *

><p>Chase awoke to her phone trilling from the coffee table. She had somehow nodded off on the sofa and had awoke with her face down in one of the cushions. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she reached over and picked up her Blackberry. With one eye open, she managed to see the number and she flopped back down against the sofa as she answered it.<p>

"Haley?" she questioned, just in case it was Lou using Haley's phone.

"Nice to hear your voice too, biatch!" Haley chuckled from the other end of the line. "You've totally fallen off the face of the planet since you left Florida. What's been going on with you?"

"I'm sorry," Chase covered her mouth as a yawn escaped her. "I've just been really really busy."

"Too busy for your best friends obviously," Chase could imagine Haley rolling her eyes. "Or just maybe, you've been to busy fucking around with John Cena!"

Chase groaned and covered her eyes with the back of her arm. "I've not been fucking around with John Cena," she denied as she forced herself into a sitting position, glancing bleary-eyed around the room. "We're actually not speaking to each other. It's over between us."

"Oh Chase," Haley sighed. "Babe, what happened? And why didn't you call Lou and I immediately?"

"I just didn't want to talk about it, Hal," Chase used her friend's childhood nickname. "It was already painful enough. It still is. And I've still got to work beside him."

"You're not still his PA, are you?"

"No, I've been transferred. Well, I asked for the transfer. It's easier this way. It means I can have time to let it heal. And I don't need to be looking at him every single minute of every single day."

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" the concern in Haley's voice was so obvious.

Chase felt her lower lip wobble as she opened her mouth to tell Haley.

"Ummm...well, there was someone else. And, well, actually, he was seeing someone when we first kissed. And I knew about it, so that was obviously wrong of me. But he promised me that he would end it with her, Haley, he promised! And then he didn't. And well, she showed up at his door after the Hall of Fame. And it was all just one big, ugly mess."

Haley groaned from the other side of the line.

"Fuck, babe, that sounds awful. I can't believe he would do something like that to you. He's walked all over you, honey."

"I know. But I guess that it wasn't all his fault. I mean, I should take my part to blame for kissing him when I knew he was with Stephanie. So, technically she's not done anything wrong and I can't really hate her. And I don't hate John either. I mean, sometimes, I wish that I could go back and do things differently but I can't and I'm not sure that I truly want to. Because-"

"Because you still love him," Haley cut in from the other side of the line.

"Yes," a tear escaped Chase's eye. "I love him," she shook her head and forced the rest of the tears back. "But enough about me. You obviously called me for something besides a catch up. So what's going on?"

"Nothing," she practically squeaked. "It's not important. We can talk about it some-"

"Haley!" Chase barked with laughter. "Tell me what's going on?"

"No, Chase, I mean it's fine. Don't-"

"Please, will you just tell me?" Chase asked. "I want to know."

Haley sighed. "Okay," she went silent for a few moments. "I'm getting married!".

Chase's jaw practically hit the floor with Haley's statement.

"You're what? Oh my god! You're getting married?"

"Yes! It's great, right? I mean, I'm so happy, Chase. I never thought that I could actually find someone to settle down with and I have and he's just amazing. I'm so happy."

"That is amazing. When did he propose? When are you getting married?!"

"It was at the weekend. He went down on one knee and everything. I was so shocked, I never even expected it. We're hoping to get married by the summer."

"Haley, I am so happy for you. This is amazing news. And the perfect reason to put a smile back on my face," Chase told one of her best friends.

"Well, there's one other thing. I called to find out whether you would be my maid of honor along with Lou. I can't choose between you two and I wouldn't want to. So I'd really like the two of you do it."

"Of course I will. You know that I would never say no. Just let me know when I need to drop back for fittings and I'll be there. Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" she beamed from the other side of the line.

"It's the best news I've had in a while," Chase sighed. "I'm not being rude but I really have to go. We're leaving for Denver in a few hours and I've still got to pack. But congratulations again and I'll call you soon."

The two friends said their goodbyes and Chase stood from the sofa, heading for the bathroom to shower. As she climbed under the hot spray, she contemplated what Haley had just told her. She really was happy for her friend, there was no doubt about it. But it caused it to really hit home how alone Chase was. She'd pushed Nick away and put everything on the line for John and he'd broken her heart. And yet she still loved him with every fibre of her being. He'd hurt her and yet all she wanted was to feel his arms around her again. She missed his touch and his kisses and his laughter and his stupid jokes. She missed him, all of him. And for the first time in her life, Chase felt truly lost.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	33. Under My Skin

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **ThatGirl54 **and **xXParieceXx **for reviewing. Enjoy XxX

_**CHAPTER THIRTY THREE**_

Chase fiddled with the pen in her hand, drumming it off of the paper pad which was placed on the table she was sitting at. A yawn escaped her and she covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to disguise it. Reaching for her cup of coffee, she took a grateful sip of it, hoping that the caffeine would have a quick effect on her.

The sleepless nights that she had been suffering had continued throughout the week and the following one. She wasn't sure she could take much more of the lack of sleep. It was utterly exhausting having to run on nothing but energy drinks and adrenaline.

Her blackberry began to ring from the table in front of her and she placed her coffee down and picked it up. Punk's name flashed on the screen and she answered the phone with a smile.

"Hey, stranger!" Chase beamed down the line.

"Hi," Punk replied from the other end of the line. "I'm sorry I've not been in contact, it's just been hectic."

"Yeah," a sigh left Chase's mouth. "I can imagine. You obviously needed some space but you know, I've been really worried about you."

"I know that," Punk let a breath escape him and Chase could picture him running a hand over his sheared head or scratching his well maintained facial hair.

When Chase had arrived in Denver, Mr McMahon had let her know that Punk was taking a bit of a break from traveling on the road. At present, it was thought to be a few weeks long but there was room for change and it was possible that Punk could be off television for months. He'd worked his fingers to the bone throughout the previous year - holding his title for a record breaking 434 days. And afterwards, he had went on to challenge The Undertaker for his undefeated Wrestlemania streak.

"Listen," Punk started. "I'm really sorry, Chase. I should have told you what was happening with me and not left you in the dark. That was really shitty of me. And I guess, I can't really say how sorry I am. You've been a great friend to me."

"C'mon, don't speak like that. You sound like you're never coming back," Chase heard her voice break. "What the hell am I supposed to do without my workout partner?" she joked.

She heard Punk chuckle from the other side of the phone. "I am coming back. But I don't know when. I'm just pretty burnt out, you know."

"I get it, I do. You've put in so much over the past year and anyone with a decent set of eyes can see that it's been getting to you. Just don't fall out of touch with me. Keep me updated. I'll be here waiting when you get back."

"Sure thing, sweet cheeks. I'll call you soon."

A smile formed on her lips once more at the old familiar banter from him though it began to fade when she thought about the prospect of not having Punk on the road with her. He was one of the few that she could really be herself around and she could talk to and be open with him without it getting back to John.

* * *

><p>The line went dead as he hung up and Chase took a few moments to put the phone back on the table. Scooping up the pad and a bundle of papers that were sitting to the left, she stood from the table. Leaving catering, Chase began to make her way down to the Diva's locker room - she had been temporarily assigned as Sarona's PA in Punk's absence. The two girls had never really seen eye-to-eye which had caused some tension when Chase had first worked with the diva. But after a few mishaps, they had managed to work out their differences with Sarona even apologizing for being rude to Chase when she first started working on the road. They were never going to be best friends or even friends at all but the new understanding allowed them to work alongside each other without any trouble.<p>

Rubbing a hand over her face, Chase was startled when a backstage technician rushed over to her, his eyes wide and his face almost panic-stricken.

"Miss Chalmers!" the young man breathed heavily at her. "I've been searching half of the building for you," he placed his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Chase stared at him wide eyed, wondering what was so bad that he had been rushing around.

"What's happened?" she queried, attempting to reach out to him.

"You've got to come with me now!" he told her, regaining his breath. "Mr Cena has been injured. He's in the trainer's room as we speak."

Chase was startled by the information. Had John personally asked for her? Or had it just naturally occurred to the trainer to ask for Chase? Whatever the reason, Chase knew that she didn't need to be told twice that John was hurt.

"Alright," she told the technician. "Lead the way."

The technician led Chase through the winding corridors of the arena and when she arrived outside of the trainer's room, she was faced with Chloe pacing the floor. The young woman looked up, confusion swirling in her expression.

"Chase, wh-what are you doing here?" Chloe furrowed her brows. "I thought you were CM Punk's PA?"

"I was...I mean...I am," Chase stammered. "But John and I have history. I came to make sure that he's alright," she stepped forward to the door of the trainer's room, ignoring the still unsure look on Chloe's face.

"He said he doesn't want to be disturbed," Chloe informed Chase. "That's why I'm stuck out here," she shrugged, a twinge of hurt in her voice.

"He'll see me," Chase mustered all of the confidence that she could find and knocked on the door, turning her head away from Chloe. There was no answer from the other side of the door and Chase looked to Chloe, who appeared to be rather satisfied that both the trainer and John had ignored Chase. She knocked again. "It's Chase. Can I come in?"

There was a moments silence and then Chase was pleased to see the door open. Christopher Amann - the senior ringside physician for the Raw brand - popped his head around the door and upon setting his eyes on Chase, he invited her inside. She smiled in thanks and slipped inside, closing the door behind her. She turned to face the room and was rewarded with a view of John wincing in pain as Chris put pressure on his right foot.

Chase dropped the papers she had been carrying onto a table near her. She looked back to John and found that he was watching her, the pain he was feeling evident in his expression. Chase hated seeing him in pain despite how much he had hurt her and she felt this overwhelming need to comfort him. It was stopped only by the realization that she needed to stay firm in her conviction about keeping her distance from him. John turned his gaze back to what Chris was doing with his foot.

"It's definitely the tendon, John," Chris told him and Chase held her breath as she waited to hear the rest of his diagnosis. "I don't think it's torn but if you don't ease up on it, it will tear," Chris warned him. "That could put you out of action for a minimum of a year or it could potentially end your career, man. You've got to take it easy."

"You know me, Doc. Rest and recuperation all the way," John mock saluted him. Chris turned his back for a moment to unravel a roll of bandage and when he turned back to John, he was smirking.

"And you should know me by now. I'm not saying this for the good of my health. This isn't a joke. You need to rest. If you don't, you'll only do yourself more harm. You haven't worked this hard to get to where you are for it to be pulled out from underneath you, buddy," Chase watched as Chris started to wrap John's ankle up, paying close attention to the area surrounding his heel and the injured Achilles tendon. When he was done, he picked up a clipboard and jotted down a few notes before he looked back to John. "Look, that's my professional opinion. I gave you it, you do with it what you will. But if you don't take a step back, then I'll take the decision out of your hands," Chris was firm as he told John this, indicating that he would write John up as unfit to be in the ring.

John's lips turned downwards and he frowned. "I get it, Doc. I'll ease up," his voice was solemn, losing the humour that was there a few moments before.

Chris nodded and returned to his clipboard, quickly scrawling out something on a sheet of paper. He turned and walked to Chase, tearing the sheet from the clipboard. He handed it to her and Chase read over it, seeing that it was a prescription for painkillers.

"I'll give this to you. It won't affect any wellness policy tests. And I know he won't pick it up if I give it to him," Chris grinned at her. "Make sure he rests and takes it easy on that ankle, Chase. I'm counting on you," he opened the door and slipped out, not giving Chase time to protest that she wasn't John's assistant anymore.

Chase let out a sigh, chewing on her bottom lip. Turning back to John, she saw him slipping on his sneaker and tying the laces back up in a tight knot. He was trying not to hiss in pain as he did so, grinding his teeth together.

"Chloe is...she's outside. Sh-she's worried about you," Chase stammered, speaking to him for the first time in several weeks.

John nodded, making a noise that he understood what she was saying.

"I'll make sure she knows I'm alright," he hopped off the bed, hobbling on one leg to take the pressure off of his bad ankle. He placed his hands flat on the cushioned medical bed, trying to give himself some leverage.

"Did you ask someone to come and get me?" Chase asked and John nodded. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you. Because I figured that me being injured would appeal to your good nature," he smiled a toothy grin for a brief second. "I just wanted a chance to be alone with you, Chase. A chance to explain myself."

"What is there to explain?" she asked. "I think we've covered every detail right?" she crossed her arms over her chest, tucking the written prescription under her arm.

John hobbled around to face her, bracing one hand against the bed to steady himself.

"I don't know how many times I've tried to say that I'm sorry. I fucked up. I admit it. And I really didn't mean to hurt you. But I just want you to give me a chance to show you how sorry I am and to try and make it up to you."

"How are you going to make it up to me?" Chase asked skeptically. "By sending me a bunch of flowers?" she retorted, referring to the flowers she gave to April. "Because I'll just keep giving them away, John. Because they don't mean shit! You think a bunch of flowers is really going to atone for you breaking my heart?!"

"I-I didn't know what else to do. I thought you would like them. I thought maybe that you-"

"You thought wrong," Chase told him, beginning to breathe deeply as she tried to calm herself down. "I don't want to argue with you, John. You don't understand really, I mean, I was fine. I was just fine until you came into my life. And now I-I feel like I can't spend a minute without you. I can't go a day without wanting to be near you," Chase explained. "You don't know how difficult it's really been," she pointed her finger at him. "But for my own sake and for my own sanity, I have got to stay away from you. Because you're only going to end up hurting me all over again," Chase turned to the door, attempting to flee from John before he could respond.

"Jesus Christ, Chase! C'mon...Fuck!" John hissed as he tried to hobble his way to Chase, his injured foot giving way beneath his weight. He reached out to grab something to support him and his hand came into contact with the back of a swivel chair that was in the room. His other shoulder was quickly supported by Chase - who had turned at the sound of him cursing and immediately gone to help him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, taking some of his weight onto her. "This is all my fault," Chase whispered as she swung John's arm around her shoulder completely so that she could support him more efficiently.

"What?" John asked confused. "How could this ever be your fault?" he added, leaning on her shoulder as he got more comfortable with his standing position.

"If I'd just let you explain yourself sooner then maybe you'd have been concentrating more? Maybe you wouldn't have made a rookie mistake, John!" Chase told him, anger evident in her voice though it was directed more at herself than at him.

John stopped moving and angled his face down towards Chase's. "Look, injuries are common place in this business. I work my fingers to bone for my craft and I know the risks of being out there. I made a stupid mistake and now I'm paying the price. But under no circumstances is this your fault. Do you understand?" Chase attempted to speak but John continued. "I said, do you understand me, Chase?!"

"Yes," the PA replied feebly. "C'mon, we need to get you out of here and back to the hotel to rest. You shouldn't be on this foot for too long until it's stronger," Chase assisted John in his movements towards the door. "C-Can you just grab that pile of papers for me, please?" Chase pointed to the papers she had brought in with her. John reached out and scooped them up, tucking them away under his arm.

Chase opened the door and John hobbled out with her help, the two of them almost ploughing into Chloe who had been standing right outside of the door. The young woman jumped back, startled by their sudden appearance.

"Oh my goodness!" she placed a hand over her chest. "You scared me. Are you alright?" she asked John.

He winced and nodded. "Been better," his lips turned up slightly. "I'll be alright from here, Chase will help me. You're done for the day," he informed her. "Thanks, Chloe," John added as an afterthought.

"Oh," she seemed shocked by his statement, taking a step back as he and Chase advanced further out of the room.

"I'm just going to take John back to the hotel, Chloe. He needs some rest and he needs to get off this foot."

Chloe watched the two of them closely. The truth was that she had been eavesdropping outside of the room, hearing snippets of their conversation and picking up on their raised voices. And now she was feeling very excluded. And she didn't like that.

Chloe reached out to help but John stumbled backwards, a cry of pain leaving his mouth.

"It's okay, I've got you," Chase encouraged him.

Chloe pulled her hand back swiftly. She rubbed her hand across her face and then let out a small sigh.

"You're sure that you don't need my help?" she asked.

"No, Chloe. We'll be fine, right, John?" Chase looked to her former boss and former lover for help. Chloe was being awful clingy with John and Chase didn't like it one bit. She'd tried to be nice to the girl and this was how she was repaying her hospitality.

"Yes," John hissed in pain. "We'll manage. I'll give you a call if I need anything, Chloe," he told her firmly and then he and Chase set off down the hallway, heading for the Diva's locker room first and then for the exit of the arena.

* * *

><p>Chase helped John onto the bed in his hotel suite and he breathed the biggest sigh of relief that she had ever heard. It had been a nightmare trying to get him out of her car and into the hotel, onlookers staring wide eyed at the two, shocked whispers hurrying through the crowds. Chase had then had to fish John's key from his jean pocket whilst still trying to support half of his weight on her own shoulder.<p>

Chase rolled her shoulder, an ache forming there from the pressure John had been putting on her.

"I'll get your prescription dispensed in the morning," she stepped back into the bedroom with a glass of water and two small white pills cradled in the palm of her hand. "These will have to do for now. It's just Ibuprofen to help with the pain and bring the swelling down."

John looked at her skeptically but Chase simply shook her hand at him and he took the tiny round pills from her and knocked them back in one go; following it with a mouthful of water.

He placed the glass on the small table by the side of the bed as Chase crouched down, her fingers deftly untying the laces on both of his shoes. She gingerly slipped the sneaker of his right foot off and then tugged off the left one, gently holding the heel of his right foot in her hand.

"It must be so painful," she told him, her voice rather quiet. "I can't imagine the pain that you're in right now," Chase looked up at him.

"I'm pretty used to pain by now," he shrugged. Nervously and tenderly, John reached out his hand and touched his fingertips to Chase's face, slowly beginning to cup her jaw when she didn't pull away from him. "I just wish you would believe me when I say that it wasn't your fault."

"Yeah," Chase sighed. "I wish I believed that too," she replied, lowering his foot back to the floor. "You should get some rest," she pushed herself to her feet and started to leave the room.

"Will you stay?" Chase stopped at the door to the bedroom of the suite.

"Yes. I'll be here when you wake up," she left the room, closing the door behind her.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	34. Under Pressure

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **LiesForTheLiars**, **EmmettLuver2010**, **Smash07**, **1222mercedes1222**, **ThatGirl54**, **xXParieceXx** for reviewing the last chapter.

_**CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR**_

Chase took the small white bag from the pharmacist's hand and popped it into the canvas bag that she had slung over one shoulder. Thanking the man, she exited the small chemist not far from the hotel where the crew were currently staying and made her way back there.

A yawn caught her off-guard and she covered her mouth with one hand as she entered the lobby of the hotel. It had been a long and uncomfortable night sleeping on the sofa of John's hotel room. The couch was considerably lumpy and Chase's back was now paying the price for that. But there was no way she was going to let on to John about how awful her night had really been. She'd promised that she would look after him - she knew that if she didn't, no one else would.

As Chase stepped inside the hotel suite that John had been booked into, she heard him shuffling around and a sudden gasp of pain come from him. Heading through to the bedroom of his suite, Chase spied John trying to force his sneaker onto his foot. He was dressed in a pair of long shorts and a white short sleeved shirt; clearly ready for a workout in the gym.

"Are you really that crazy?" John looked up at Chase, startled by her sudden appearance in the room. Chase narrowed her eyes at him, feeling angry that he was trying to put so much pressure on himself.

John sat up straight, his hands resting on the mattress. "I thought you'd gone. I woke up and you weren't here."

"I went to get your prescription dispensed," Chase answered him, fishing into her bag to retrieve the white paper bag. "You cannot be seriously considering going to the gym, John."

"I'm not considering it, Chase," he bent over again to finish trying to put his sneaker on.

"You know, your injury isn't a joke! It isn't something you can just forget happened," Chase insisted. "You have hurt your foot and it will only get worse if you keep putting this kind of pressure on it," the blonde shook her head at him.

Sitting up once more, the WWE Champion stared Chase down.

"I know how injured my ankle is, Chase. I know how much it can take. And I know how much I can take before I'm at breaking point. I don't need a lecture from you about taking care of myself."

"You're absolutely unbelievable!" Chase shrieked. "I'm trying to help you and you're just throwing it back in my face."

Throwing the white paper bag onto the bed, Chase retreated from the bedroom and headed for the door. She heard John hobbling behind her, the floor creaking beneath his weight.

"Chase, come back, please," his voice was surprisingly calm. Chase turned to look at him and he stopped, propping himself up against the wall to help alleviate the pain in his foot. "I know that you're trying to help me and I'm really grateful for that. I'm not sure how I would have managed without you here last night. But second guessing my judgment on just how much I can take isn't the way to go. I know what I'm doing."

Rolling her eyes, Chase snorted. "You know what you're doing huh? Then how did you get into this predicament? Because if I remember rightly, you told me that this was your fault," she pointed at his foot. "You said that you were to blame. And you knew the consequences of being out there. So how can you possibly know what you're doing? In the end, you're only going to hurt yourself more, John."

"It's better than hurting you," he replied, shrugging at Chase. Letting out a breath, John continued to speak. "Look, here it is. I can't do anything about how much I hurt you. I've done things I'm not proud of in my life and hurting you is certainly one of them. And honestly, I'm not even sure how I can make it up to you. I could tell you that I was being stupid, that I was scared about how I was feeling about you. But that would just be a pointless excuse and I'm not going to waste your time. I know what I did. I made a mistake, I'm man enough to admit it. But it doesn't mean that I'm going to give up on you, on us, Chase. I know that you're angry at me," he pointed to her chest. "But deep down inside, I also know that no matter how angry you are, you still love me. And feelings like that, they just don't go away."

Folding her arms across her chest, Chase tried to hide her trembling hands. She knew that what John was saying was the truth. It was the hardest thing she had ever had to hear. Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, Chase gnawed on the plump flesh, trying to find the words to respond to what John was saying.

"You hurt me," Chase's voice shook as she finally spoke. "How am I supposed to trust you not to do it again?"

Taking a few shaky steps, John reached out to Chase, one hand curling around her cheek, the other resting gently atop her shoulder.

"Because I love you. Because I don't want to ever see you hurt like that again."

Chase sniffed, closing her eyes to try and ward off the tears that were threatening to spill over. She hated feeling so weak, she hated that she had done nothing but cry over this man. But more than anything, she hated that she had had to be without him because they both made stupid mistakes.

Using his thumb, John gently pushed away a lock of Chase's hair that had dropped in front of her eyes. Opening her eyes back up, Chase met his gaze.

"Y-You have to promise me that you'll never hurt me again, John. You promise me!"

"You know that I won't," John moved his other hand to Chase's face. "I'm so sorry that I hurt you in the first place, baby. I love you so much," John lowered his head to press his lips to Chase's. A whimper left her mouth and was swallowed by John's mouth and her arms reached out to coil around his middle, her palms pressed flat against his back. Tracing her mouth with his tongue, John begged her to grant him entrance. Chase parted her lips, pressing herself closer to him for a moment before attempting to pull away.

"And you have to promise me that..." John cut her off with another kiss, trying to silence all protests that the blonde was trying to make. Chase indulged herself in feeling his touch after so long before she pulled away again. "No, listen," John held her close to him, his forehead pressing against hers. "You have to promise me that you'll do something about Chloe," Chase grinned. "That girl does not know when she's overstepping the mark," she started to laugh.

"Anything you want," John replied, bundling Chase into his big arms so that he could claim her lips once again.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_

_**A/N2:**_ I just want to let you guys know that they're aren't many chapters left in this. But I hope you've all enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it. Thank you all so much for the reviews and alerts and the support. You've been amazing! XxX


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